Off the wire
• Chinese more uncomfortable expressing gratitude than love: survey  • Sri Lankan gov't assures national security not at risk  • China ready for port, railway cooperation with Latvia  • Xinhua Insight: China changes tactics in financial fight against poverty  • Ancient tomb complex unearthed in south China  • Indonesian president calls for global efforts to reduce carbon emission  • Turkey's Su-24 attack destroys bilateral ties: Kremlin  • Chinese astronomers shed new light on black hole emissions  • Chinese state councilor meets EPO president  • Beijing police detain 16 music school students over suspected drug use  
You are here: 　 Home

Turkish president rejects Russian accusation of illegal oil trade with IS

Xinhua, November 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday refuted accusations by Russian authorities that Turkey has been involved in illegal oil trade with Islamic State (IS).

"The ones who claim we purchase oil from Daesh (IS) is obligated to prove it," Erdogan said, adding that 79 million liters of smuggled oil have been seized by Turkey in 2014.

"Daesh sells the oil they drill to (Syrian President Bashar) al-Assad. Talk these over with the al-Assad you support," Erdogan said, in response to Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev's accusations.

Ties between Moscow and Ankara have strained after the latter downed a Russian warplane on Tuesday allegedly on airspace violation.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Wednesday that Turkey does not aim to escalate tension with Russia.

"Russia is our friend, our neighbor," he told lawmakers. "Our bilateral communication channels are still open."

"It was not an incident that Turkey desired," Davutoglu added. Endit