Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has claimed that Daesh sells oil to the Syrian regime. He also said that if the international community is serious about eradicating the Islamist group, it should target the bodies that support Daesh with money and weapons, and that the role of the Syrian regime should be taken into consideration.
Erdogan’s comments came during a meeting with officials in the presidential compound in the Turkish capital Ankara, where he expressed his displeasure at some officials who claim that Turkey buys oil from Daesh and stressed that Turkey’s resources of oil and gas are known to everyone, and that the country’s biggest energy suppliers are Russia and Iran.
“We import the gas we need from Azerbaijan, buy oil from the territory of northern Iraq, get the liquefied gas from Algeria and Qatar; and those who claim anything against us will have to prove their allegations rather than spreading false fabrications against Turkey,” the Turkish premier said.
Regarding the fight against Daesh, the Erdogan added that: “Turkey is almost the only state that takes the fight against ISIS seriously; as Turkey was the first to call this organisation a terrorist group in 2005, when it adopted another name, and with its appearance in 2013 under its current name, we continue to describe it as terrorist group and will continue to fight it.”
Erdogan stressed that Turkey will act with zero tolerance in its fight against “terrorist organisations”, naming Daesh, as well as the Kurdish movements the KDP and PKK.
With regard to the Turkish-Russian relations, Erdogan said that the two countries share a strategic relationship that requires solidarity and not threatening each other.
Referring to the Russian raids in Syria and addressing Russia directly, Erdogan said: “Yesterday, you attacked humanitarian aid trucks, which resulted in the death of three people and wounded seven others. And in the face of this, you claim that you are fighting Daesh. Excuse me, but you are not fighting Daesh. You are killing our Turkomen kinsmen in coordination with the Syrian regime in order to clear areas north of Latakia and kill Syrian citizens.”