Turkey dismisses ‘Soviet-style propaganda’ over ISIS claims

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu dismissed Russian allegations that Turkey was buying oil from ISIS as “Soviet-style propaganda” on Thursday and said the Nato member was doing all it could to secure its border with Syria.

Russia’s defence ministry said on Wednesday it had proof that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his family were benefiting from the illegal smuggling of oil from ISIS-held territory in Syria and Iraq.

“In the Cold War period there was a Soviet propaganda machine. Every day it created different lies. Firstly they would believe them and then expect the world to believe them. These were remembered as Pravda lies and nonsense,” Mr Davutoglu said.

“This was an old tradition but it has suddenly reared its head again. Nobody attaches any value to the lies of this Soviet-style propaganda machine,” he told a news conference before leaving on an official visit to Azerbaijan.

Mr Davutoglu said a rejection of Russia’s claims by the United States was further evidence that Moscow was peddling a fabricated narrative.

US state department spokesman Mark Toner said on Wednesday that Washington rejected the premise that the Turkish government was in league with the militants to smuggle oil, saying it saw no evidence to support such an accusation.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meanwhile on Thursday said Turkey said he had proof Russia was involved in illegal oil trade with ISIS in Syria, countering “immoral” Russian allegations that his own family was importing oil from the jihadists.

“We have the proof in our hands. We will reveal it to the world,” Mr Erdogan said in a televised address in Ankara.

“Look, Russia has to prove that the Turkish republic buys oil from Daesh, otherwise this is a slander,” he added. “The immoral side of this issue is involving my family in the affair,” Mr Erdogan added.