keskiviikko 2. joulukuuta 2015

‘No way West was unaware of ISIS-Turkey oil trade’



Published time: 2 Dec, 2015 17:01Edited time: 2 Dec, 2015 17:04
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Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan © Umit Bektas / Reuters
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What will be the reaction of Ankara’s Western allies following Moscow’s revelations that Turkey is involved in ISIS oil smuggling, RT asked experts.
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READ MORE: Russia presents proof of Turkey’s role in ISIS oil trade


The evidence presented by the Russian Defense Ministry will be “partly ignored and distorted” by Western MSM, says Foreign Affairs Editor Srdja Trifkovic.

“I think that Erdogan will scream ‘blue murder’ and claim that this is all a set-up and a reaction to what he calls ‘justified downing of the Russian plane’. The real issue is what the US will do about this. Because it is quite obvious the Turkish tail has been wagging the American dog for far too long,” he said.

“My hunch is that the US will continue to be reluctant to really do something about it. They have had a chance to do so for 15 months prior to the beginning of the Russian air strikes on September, 25. The question of all questions is whether Erdogan will finally be pressed by his Western partners to shape up and to act like a civilized person, which unfortunately he is not,” Trifkovic told RT.






“I think the first reaction we’re going to see is embarrassment though that might happen behind closed doors. There is no conceivable way that Turkey’s Western allies were unaware of the oil trade between ISIS and Turkey. They have the same satellite and reconnaissance capabilities as the Russians. And they’ve probably known about it longer and in more detail. So, the first reaction will be embarrassment and I think a real scramble to recapture the narratives because this is public now,” said Middle East geopolitics analystSharmine Narwani.

Russia is working with the UN Security Council on a draft resolution which aims to curb the illegal oil trade with and by terrorist groups. Commenting on Erdogan’s possible reaction to the move, the expert said he is “a hot head.”

“The thing with Erdogan is that you never know quite what to expect. So, we may see an escalation, we may see de-escalation but it must be face-saving for him, he is a proud arrogant man… I think Erdogan will be a recipient of serious pressure from his NATO and Western allies on this latest Russian revelation,” Narwani added.








The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

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