Russia: Turkey's Erdo臒an is in the oil business with ISIS
Turkish President Recep聽Tayyip Erdo臒an and his family are benefiting from Islamic State oil smuggling, Russia alleged Wednesday.
In a Moscow briefing, officials showed satellite images of tanker trucks loaded with oil traveling from IS posts in Syria and Iraq across the border into Turkey. But no evidence of Mr. Erdo臒an鈥檚 involvement has been produced, and the Turkish president adamantly denies this accusation.
鈥� stolen from its rightful owners, Syria and Iraq. According to information we鈥檝e received, the senior political leadership of the country 鈥� President Erdo臒an聽and his family 鈥� are involved in this criminal business,鈥� said Russia鈥檚 Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov.聽
Erdo臒an, for his part, in Islamic State oil smuggling, promising to resign the presidency if accusations are proved, saying, "If聽such a thing is proven, the nobility of our nation would require that I would not stay in office."
Although Russia has yet to present any evidence, Defense Minister聽Antonov confidently explained why Russian authorities say Erdo臒an聽is involved.
鈥淢aybe I鈥檓 being too blunt, but one can only entrust to one鈥檚 closest associates,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n the West, no one has asked questions about the fact that the Turkish president鈥檚 son heads one of the biggest energy companies, or that his son-in-law has been appointed energy minister. What a marvelous family business!鈥�
Moscow鈥檚 allegations come amid heightening tensions between the two countries after Turkish forces shot down a Russian warplane on Nov. 24. The US sided with Turkey鈥檚 right to protect its airspace after the attack, but if Moscow鈥檚 latest accusation is proved, Erdo臒an聽would likely face serious international hostility.
To defeat Islamic State, Antonov says 鈥渢he sources of its ,鈥� a view shared by the Obama Administration. And oil is the terrorist group鈥檚 main source of revenue: two US counter-terrorism officials told NBC News that Islamic State聽earns roughly by smuggling oil and gas.
The US and Russia have long questioned Turkey's soft response to Islamic State鈥檚 oil sales in Turkey. Though a key gateway for Islamic State聽oil smuggling is in the southern corridor of Turkey, Erdo臒an聽has sidestepped any concrete efforts to attack the sales route.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great disappointment: There is a real danger that ,鈥� Juan Zarate, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the New York Times in 2014. 鈥淵ou have a major NATO ally, and it is not clear they are willing and able to cut off flows of funds, fighters and support to ISIS.鈥澛�
And while Turkey鈥檚 efforts might only put a dent in one portion of Islamic State聽funding, US officials say any defensive action by Erdo臒an聽would be better than nothing.聽
鈥淟ike any sort of , if you devote the resources and the effort to attack it, you are unlikely to eradicate it, but you are likely to put a very significant dent in it,鈥� a senior Obama Administration official said last year.聽
Erdo臒an聽said last week that Turkey only buys oil from legitimate sources and Ankara is actively fighting fuel smuggling in the state. But if Russia can back up their Erdo臒an聽allegations with evidence, Turkey鈥檚 intentions in the fight against Islamic State will be called further into question.
