Pushing NATO to the brink, Turkey’s shoot down of a Russian SU-24 fighter jet Nov. 24 raises disturbing questions about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose son Bilal Erdogan has been accused of running a black market oil business with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. After Russia decimated 1,000 ISIS-owned oil tankers in five days, Bilal must have complained to his father. While NATO and President Barack Obama are busy excusing Ankara’s actions, the real story hasn’t been told of what happens to illicit ISIS oil traveling North and disappearing into Turkey. Russian officials understand the dirty oil business, where packaging and repackaging crude oil becomes easily converted into quick-cash. Accusing Turkey of buying oil from ISIS, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov let the cat-out-of-the-bag when it comes to Turkey’s black market ISIS oil business.
Whatever the complexities or the politics, there’s 100% no excuse for Turkey shooting down a Russian warplane, no matter what the provocation. Walking back the incident, Turkey’s military denied that it knew the national origin of the fighter jet, hitting the ill-fated plane with a surface-to-surface missile. Yet Turkish Foreign Ministry officials were quick to explain that Russia threatened its Turkman minority, bombing anti-Assad terrorist groups in Syria’s Latakia coastal region. Calling the Nov. 24 unprovoked attack a “stab in the back,” Russian President Vladimir Putin announced deployment of Russian S-400 missiles at Hemeimeem Air base on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, only 50 kilometers [30 miles] from the Turkish border. Putin also moved Russia’s Moskva missile cruiser closer to shore to help provide guidance to for any possible attack from Hemeimeem air base.
Suspending any military cooperation with Turkey, Putin put Erdogan on notice that he’s ready for any military threat. Turkey insists that hitting a Russian warplane only one mile inside the border was appropriate rules of engagement. NATO’s Secretary Gen. Jason Stoltenberg said he stood with Turkey’s actions, despite what looks like an obvious mistake. Key NATO member France, only recently attacked by the ISIS Nov. 13, practically begged Putin to join France in going after ISIS. Meeting with Putin Nov. 26, French President Francois Hollande has a lot of explaining to do asking Moscow for military help while backing Turkey’s actions. Speaking in Istanbul at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Erdogan said he favored “peace, dialogue and diplomacy,” showing no desire to escalate the tensions. Shooting down a Russian plane hardly shows “peace, dialogue and diplomacy.”
Speaking at the White House in a joint press conference with Hollande Nov. 24, Obama said Russia worked at cross-purposes in Syria. Barack referred to Putin’s bombing campaign Oct. 30 against anti-Assad targets. What that has to do with Turkey shooting down a Russian fighter jet is anyone’s guess. Unable to resolve his dispute with Russia about regime change in Damascus, Obama has decided unilaterally that al-Assad must go. Putin has practically stood on his head warning the U.S. about repeating past mistakes in Iraq and Libya. Yesterday’s ISIS suicide bombing in Tunis, Tunisia, killing 13 on a buss carry presidential guards, underscores the failure of the U.S. and European Union strategy to contain ISIS. Hollande wants a global war against ISIS but told a White House press conference Nov. 24 that he has no intention of putting French troops on the ground in Iraq or Syria.
How much cash Turkey makes for reselling ISIS oil is anyone’s guess. State Department officials estimate that ISIS makes about $1 million a day from illicit oil sales to Turkey, repackaging the product and reselling it to the Kurds and other unnamed third parties. Pictured with his ISIS friends, Bilal Erdogan has profited handsomely from his black market oil business. How much that benefits the Turkish state directly isn’t known for sure. What’s know is that Russia destroyed 1,000 oil tankers heading northbound from Syria and Iraq to Turkey. Before NATO gets sucked into a war with Russia, Erdogan must admit his family’s involvement in illicit ISIS oil sales. “We should not sleepwalk into unintended escalation,” said Stoltenberg, backtracking off remarks yesterday that Turkey had a right to defend its airspace. Most agree that Turkey acted recklessly, without provocation.
If and when Putin retaliates against Turkey, NATO would be hard-pressed to defend Turkey’s actions. Citing Turkey’s NATO membership isn’t enough for NATO to rush to Turkey’s defense, especially because Turkey took the first shot. However far-or-long Russia veered into Turkey’s airspace, it was pure insanity to fire on a Russian fighter jet. Adding insult-to-injury, Turkey’s Turkman militia opened fire and killed one of two Russian pilots after ejecting from their plane. Surviving pilot Cpt. Konstantin Murakhin denied that he entered Turkish airspace or, for that matter, received any warnings from Turkish F-16 pilots. NATO has no stomach for confronting Russia, especially for Turkey’s ill-advised actions. All parties involved, including Ankara, NATO and the U.S., should accept responsibility, apologize profusely and make concrete overtures for compensation.
