Daesh sells oil to Syrian regime, says Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime of buying oil from Daesh.

"Daesh sells the oil they drill to Assad. To Assad. Talk this over with Assad you support," Erdogan said in an address to village headmen in the capital Ankara Thursday.  

Erdogan said that the places from where Turkey buys its oil and natural gas were well known, citing Russia and Iran as well as Azerbaijan and northern Iraq.

The president called on those who claimed Turkey buys oil from Daesh to prove their allegations, saying he would call them "slanderer" otherwise.

He said that there was almost no country besides Turkey which fights against the organization Daesh so seriously.

In his remarks, Erdogan also accused Russia of not fighting Daesh in Syria, saying it was killing Turkmen and Syrians in Latakia instead.

"The purpose of those attacking only moderate opposition in Syria in the name of the ‘anti-Daesh fight’ is obvious," he said.

He also ruled out any Turkish plans for military intervention. “Direct military intervention against Russia or any other country is out of the question”, but “we expect everyone to show sensitivity to our sovereign rights,” he said.

“We do not have any reason to target Russia with which we have strong relations,” he added.

He said Turkey's strategic partnership with Russia needed solidarity, not threats. He added that it was one thing to not agree with Russia over its Syria policy and another to activate rules of engagement.

About Turkey’s support for the Turkmen community, the president said that Turkey would continue to back them. “We support the moderate oppositions who struggle against the Assad regime, with Bayirbucak Turkmen. We will continue to support them”.

The president said that Turkey condemned all acts of terrorism by organizations, including Daesh and PKK. “Daesh’s acts are absolutely inexcusable. The same goes for PYD, YPG, PKK, Boko Haram and al-Shabaab acts,” he said.