Russian military officials laid out Wednesday what they say is “hard evidence” that Turkey is involved in an oil trade with ISIS, offering more detail on earlier claims that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has flatly denied.
“We presented evidence how the illegal oil trade is carried out to finance the terrorist groups,” Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said, as reported by state-run Sputnik news. “We know how much Erdogan’s words are worth.”
Officials presented photographs and videos that they said show links between Turkey and oil refineries in ISIS-controlled territory in Syria, estimating $3 million worth of oil per day was traversing this route before Russian airstrikes cut that roughly in half. Sergey Rudskoy, one of the military leaders, pointed to “three main routes (that) have been exposed for the transportation of oil to Turkey.”
Antonov also credited Russian journalists for their reports claiming one of Erdogan’s sons had a role in the scheme.
“If they think the evidence is fake, let them make these areas available to journalists,” Antonov said.
War of words
Wednesday’s defense briefing is the latest verbal salvo since Turkey shot down a Russian warplane on November 24. Ankara says the plane was given ample warning and was in Turkish airspace; Moscow denied both assertions, saying the aircraft was downed over Syria. One of its pilots was killed, while another was rescued.
The war of words and simmering tensions between the two countries have escalated. On Saturday, Erdogan said that he was “saddened” by the incident but refused to apologize. That same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law various measures aimed at hurting Turkey economically.
And on Monday, Putin raised the ante more by raising the accusation about the secret ISIS-Turkey oil trade.
Erdogan quickly took a slap back at Putin, saying he’ll resign if Moscow’s claims are proven true. “As soon as such a claim is proved, the nobility of our nation requires (me) to do this,” Erdogan said.
But, he added, if the allegations are untrue, then Putin should resign.
“I am asking Mr. Putin, would you remain?”
Syrian leader: Erdogan ‘lost his nerve’
One key player in the region who has Putin’s back is Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s embattled president.
In a rare interview Sunday, Assad said the warplane shoot-down “has shown the real intention of Erdogan, who, let’s say, lost his nerve just because the Russian intervention has changed the balance on the ground.”
“So the failure of Erdogan in Syria, the failure of his terrorist groups, means his political demise. So he wants to do anything in order to put obstacles in front of any success,” he told a reporter for Czech Television.
Assad has few high-profile friends worldwide, as he tries to survive a years-long civil war that the U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien estimated this summer has killed more than 250,000 people, displaced some 7.6 million within the country and spurred over 4 million to escape to others. But while Erdogan and U.S. President Barack Obama want Assad out, he has Putin’s support.
This includes a recent wave of Russian airstrikes aimed at “terrorists.” But some in the West have questioned whether Moscow has exclusively gone after ISIS or has lashed out at others opposing Assad’s government, including more moderate factions opposing him.
Erdogan has been among these voices, claiming that ISIS fighters weren’t in the part of northern Syria being bombed by Russia when its warplane was shot down but rather that “our brothers and sisters, Turkmen” were there.
Russia’s alleged violation of Turkish airspace has been a point of friction in the past.
In early October, Turkey said it intercepted a Russian jet that violated its airspace. The jet moved away when confronted by Turkish planes, Turkey said. Turkey then delivered a stern warning to the Russian ambassador.
Russia denied any aggressive intent, saying bad weather caused that jet to go off course.
U.S. taking Turkey’s side
In the bitter debate about where the Russian warplane was flying when it was shot down, the United States has taken Turkey’s side.
The available information indicates the warplane was in Turkish airspace, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that Turkey will seal off the unsecured part of its border with Syria.
He said there is still a 98-kilometer (61-mile) stretch of the border that is not sealed.
The closure is aimed at stopping the movement of illegal oil as well as the flow of foreign fighters from Syria to Turkey.
Kerry also reiterated his country’s opposition to Assad remaining in power, while expressing hope that the structure of Syrian government can remain. He said that Washington and its allies want to avoid a collapse of authority like what happened in Iraq after the ouster of Saddam Hussein.
“Our hope and prayer is that indeed Russia and Iran will stay committed to the concept of a transition that really legitimizes governance in Syria in a way that can bring about a ceasefire and in a way that can bring an end to the conflict,” Kerry said. “That is not regime change, that is Assad change.”