ISIS smuggling most of its oil through Turkey, Iraqi PM says

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Monday that most of the oil produced in ISIS-held territory in Iraq and Syria was being smuggled through Turkey, Reuters reported.

Turkey has repeatedly and strongly denied any state involvement in smuggling oil from ISIS-controlled parts of Syria or Iraq and says it has made progress in combating fuel smuggling networks that have operated on its borders for decades.

In a meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday, Abadi “stressed the importance of stopping oil smuggling by the terrorist gangs of Daesh, most of which is smuggled through Turkey”, according to a statement posted on his website.

The Iraqi accusation comes at a time of heightened tension between Baghdad and Ankara, which deployed a heavily armed contingent of forces to a camp near the front line in northern Iraq last week.

Earlier, an Iranian official said that Iran has evidence of illegal oil trade between Turkey and ISIS and is ready to deliver the information to Ankara and the public.

“If the government of Turkey is not informed of Daesh oil trade in the country, we are ready to put the information at its disposal,” Iran’s IRNA quoted Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaie as saying.

Rezaie elaborated that Iran is in possession of photo and video evidence of IS oil entering Turkey in trucks, adding that Iran is ready to broadcast the information.

The Russian Defense Ministry also has released maps and satellite imagery it said proved that Turkey is the main consumer of oil smuggled out of Syria and Iraq by IS. The ministry also claimed that the Turkish president and his family are involved in the criminal dealings.

Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said: “A united team of criminals and Turkish elites, involved in stealing oil from its neighbors, is acting in the region. This oil is being supplied to Turkey on a large industrial scale via improvised pipelines composed of thousands of oil truck tankers.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denied Russia’s accusations that Turkey is involved in oil dealings with Islamic State.

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