Stephen Lendman

Russian surveillance footage, independent investigative journalists and others exposed Erdogan’s oil smuggling racket, complicit with ISIS, refining and selling stolen Syrian and Iraqi oil on the black market - Israel a key beneficiary.

Captured ISIS militant Mahmud Ghazi Tatar provided more evidence of illegal Turkish oil operations. His “commander told us that the group sells fuel to Turkey,” he explained.

Income funds ISIS terrorist activities. “(O)il trucks crossing into Turkey every day carry crude oil, as well as petrol,” Tatar said. Militants have “enough oil to last them a long time” - generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue annually along with other lucrative illicit operations supplying more, up to an estimated billion dollars annually.

Oil is sold through intermediary businessmen and traders, names not revealed. It’s well known Erdogan, his son, and high-level Turkish officials are involved, profiting hugely from smuggling operations.

ISIS gets “lots of supplies from Turkey and Arab countries,” Tatar explained. Ankara’s denials ring hollow. It supplies training, weapons, munitions, toxic agents and safe haven areas for ISIS and other takfiri terrorists to move freely cross-border to and from Syria and Iraq.

Former Iraqi national security advisor Mowaffak Al-Rubaie said Turkey is heavily involved in smuggling and selling stolen Syrian and Iraqi oil.

A Norwegian daily Klassekampen report prepared at the request of Norway’s Foreign Ministry with Rystad Energy, an independent oil and gas consulting firm, revealed large amounts of oil smuggled from ISIS-controlled Syrian and Iraqi areas into Turkey - for black market resale at low prices.

The whole world knows what’s going on despite Western officials and complicit media turning a blind eye to high crime.

ISIS’ strength and ability to flourish depends on foreign support - from Washington, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel and other complicit nations.

As long as it continues, efforts to combat its scourge will continue longterm - including in new areas where it establishes footholds.

Putin explained ISIS gets direct aid from around 40 countries, including G20 ones.

His main concern is preventing its spread to Russia - why he intervened in Syria at the request of its government, making a major difference on the ground, ready to aid other regional nations if asked, urging world unity against a common scourge.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".