Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Moscow, SANA- Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov affirmed on Wednesday that Turkey’s leadership, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his family, is involved in illegal oil trade with ISIS.
In a press statement held by the Russian Defense Ministry in which the ministry provided photos that showed transporting oil to Turkey by ISIS, Antonov said that oil sales is one of the main sources of funding for terrorists in Syria, adding that terrorists get around USD 2 billion yearly which they use in recruiting terrorists and arming them.
“Today, we are presenting only some of the facts that confirm that a whole team of bandits and Turkish elites stealing oil from their neighbors is operating in the region,” Antonov said, adding that this oil “in large quantities” enters the territory of Turkey via “live oil pipelines,” consisting of thousands of oil trucks.
He added that Turkey’s leadership, including President Erdogan and his family, is involved in illegal oil trade with ISIS, stressing that Turkey is the final destination for oil smuggled from Syria and Iraq.
Antonov added that Turkey is the main buyer of smuggled oil coming from Iraq and Syria.
Since the start of Russia’s anti-terrorist operation in Syria on September 30, the income of ISIS from illegal oil smuggling has been significantly reduced, the ministry said.
In turn, Chief of National Centre for State Defense Control Lt. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev provided evidence that refer to the looting of energy resources from Syria and Iraq and transporting them to Turkey.
He pointed out that the financial revenues of these acts are used for enriching the Turkish government and sending mercenaries, weapons, and equipment to terrorists in Syria.
“Just over the past week, up to 2,000 militants, over 120 tons of ammunition, and around 250 various vehicles were transported from Turkey to ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra,” he said.
According to our reliable intelligence information, such activities have been carried out for a long time and on a regular basis, Mizintsev told reporters.
Sergei Rudskoy, the head of the Russian General Staff’s operative command, said that three main oil routes had been identified: The western route to Turkish ports in the Mediterranean, the northern to Patma oil refinery and the eastern to Cazri transfer point. The oil is then being delivered to third countries.
“According to the most modest estimates, the terrorists’ revenues from criminal [oil] business stood at no less than $3 million per day. After our airstrikes, the revenues went down to $1.5 million per day,” he said.
For the past two months, Russia’s airstrikes hit 32 oil complexes, 11 refineries, 23 oil pumping stations, Rudskoy said, adding that the Russian military had also destroyed 1,080 trucks carrying oil products.
Russian Deputy Minister said that Russian Defense Ministry will continue to provide the facts of looting acts of Turkey and will reveal additional evidence about supplying oil to various regions of the world and will inform everyone on the latest developments of the military operations carried out by the Russian Aerospace Forces.
Manar al-Frieh/Manal
