The Levant crisis.(Israel,SYRIA,Lebanon,etc)

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Nov 2015 08:02

https://www.rt.com/news/323557-turkey-a ... umhuriyet/

A Turkish prosecutor asked a court to imprison the editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet newspaper pending trial for espionage and treason. In May, the outlet published photos of weapons it said were then transferred to Syria by Turkey’s intelligence agency.

Besides the editor, Can Dündar, the prosecution said it is seeking the same pre-trial restrictions for Cumhuriyet’s representative in Ankara, Erdem Gül.

Dündar arrived at an Istanbul court on Thursday, saying that he and his colleague “came here to defend journalism.”

“We came here to defend the right of the public to obtain the news and their right to know if their government is feeding them lies. We came here to show and to prove that governments cannot engage in illegal activity and defend this,” Dündar was cited by Today’s Zaman.

The articles, published on Cumhuriyet's front page in May, claimed that Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) is smuggling weapons in trucks into Syria and was caught doing so twice in 2014. The trucks were allegedly stopped and searched by police, with photos and videos of their contents obtained by Cumhuriyet.

According to the paper, the trucks were carrying six steel containers, with 1,000 artillery shells, 50,000 machine gun rounds, 30,000 heavy machine gun rounds and 1,000 mortar shells. The arms were reportedly delivered to extremist groups fighting against the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad, whom Ankara wants ousted from power.

The Turkish authorities denied the allegations, saying that the trucks were carrying aid to Syrian ethnic Turkmen tribespeople and labeled their interception an act of “treason” and “espionage.”

Pelin Batu, Ba Turkish TV presenter who worked alongside those who were detained, said that all they had done “was done in the interests of the country ... because our involvement in Syria needed to be brought into question.”

“I don't think this could be judged as treacherous in any way,” Batu told RT, adding that Dundar was always a “pacifist.”

Batu says the editor-in-chief fought for freedom of speech which has been under threat in Turkey since Erdogan took power.

“For the last year or so the freedom of press has been axed in so many ways,” she told RT.

A 2014 report by Human Rights Watch warned that under Erdogan’s rule Turkey has seen the erosion of human rights via a crackdown on media freedom, dissent and a weakening of the rule of law.

Many journalists in the country are facing harsh prison terms for exposing corruption in the government and surveillance by the Turkish state.

Egdogan’s regime has also attempted to silence social media by blocking YouTube and Twitter on a number of occasions.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Nov 2015 08:05

https://twitter.com/sayed_ridha/status/ ... 1654176768

Ahrar Sham tried to stage a coup by sneaking up a powerful looking 155mm artillery piece and targeting the roosi airbase in latakia, the shells fell a bit short.

look at the way the man is looking at his book - he is a trained artillery guy going over his firing tables to work out the elevation and bearing. must be deserter from syrian army or ex-iraqi/ex-turki army artillery corps.

will give a real impetus to SAA to push them fast out of latakia so it falls out of range.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Nov 2015 08:06

jihadi who specialized in smuggling suicide bombers to hit lebanese shias tracked down and killed by hezbollah

https://twitter.com/sayed_ridha/status/ ... 3356281856

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Nov 2015 08:11

NassimNicholasTaleb ‏@nntaleb 9h9 hours ago

Saudi Arabia, please sue me.I will be in Leb next week for extradition. "Saudi Arabia to sue anyone who compares their justice syst to Isis"

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 27 Nov 2015 08:16

udaym wrote:Turkish intelligence chief: ISIS is a reality and we must stop Putin from crushing the Islamic revolution

Turkish intelligence chief: Putin's intervention in Syria is against Islam and international law, ISIS is a reality and we are optimistic about the future.....

WoW is he serious ?

Ankara--- Hakan Fidan, the head of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization, known by the MİT acronym, has drawn a lot of attention and criticism for his controversial comments about ISIS.

Mr. Hakan Fidan, Turkish President's staunchest ally, condemned Russian military intervention in Syria, accusing Moscow of trying to 'smother' Syria's Islamist revolution and serious breach of United Nations law.

“ISIS is a reality and we have to accept that we cannot eradicate a well-organized and popular establishment such as the Islamic State; therefore I urge my western colleagues to revise their mindset about Islamic political currents, put aside their cynical mentalité and thwart Vladimir Putin's plans to crush Syrian Islamist revolutionaries,” - Anadolu News Agency quoted Mr. Fidan as saying on Sunday.

Fidan further added that in order to deal with the vast number of foreign Jihadists craving to travel to Syria, it is imperative that ISIS must set up a consulate or at least a political office in Istanbul.

He underlined that it is Turkey’s firm belief to provide medical care for all injured people fleeing Russian ruthless airstrikes regardless of their political or religious affiliation.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 27 Nov 2015 08:21

Major Strike against Oil Smuggling planned , In the link Putin showed the video in G20 of long line of tanker in and out of Turkey , No Wonder Turkey is very upset

‘Commercial scale’ oil smuggling into Turkey becomes priority target of anti-ISIS strikes

https://www.rt.com/news/323603-isis-oil ... key/[quote]

Commercial-scale oil smuggling from Islamic State controlled territory into Turkey must be stopped, Putin said after meeting Hollande in Moscow.

“Vehicles, carrying oil, lined up in a chain going beyond the horizon,” said Putin, reminding the press that the scale of the issue was discussed at the G20 summit in Antalya earlier this month, where the Russian leader demonstrated reconnaissance footage taken by Russian pilots.

The views resemble a “living oil pipe” stretched from ISIS and rebel controlled areas of Syria into Turkey, the Russian President stressed. “Day and night they are going to Turkey. Trucks always go there loaded, and back from there – empty.”

“We are talking about a commercial-scale supply of oil from the occupied Syrian territories seized by terrorists. It is from these areas [that oil comes from], and not with any others. And we can see it from the air, where these vehicles are going,” Putin said.

We assume that the top political leadership of Turkey might not know anything about this [illegal oil trade]. Hard to believe, but it is theoretically possible,” Putin said, adding that this however does not excuse Ankara from not stopping the illegal smuggling of oil.

Putin pointed out the lack of smoke from any fires or the existence of any commercial enterprises created to deal with the destruction of oil, which would be possible to find if the Turkish leadership is aware and is seizing and destroying smuggled products, as it claims.

“But if the top political leadership [in Turkey] doesn’t know anything about this, let them find out. I can admit that there may be some elements of corruption, secret dealing, they should sort it out,” said Putin.

Putin stated that sales of oil from ISIS are in direct violation of international law, and that the proceeds from ‘black gold’ cost innocent people their lives.

“In this respect there is a special UN Security Council resolution banning the direct purchase of oil from terrorists, because these barrels, that they supply, it is not just oil, there is the blood of our citizens, because from the money [received], terrorists buy weapons, ammunition, and then conduct bloody actions,” Putin said.

However, the Turkish leadership is not rushing to investigate whether any of the ISIS oil smuggling routes end up in Turkey, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself refuting any suspicions that Syrian oil might be getting into his country illegally as absolute “slander.”

“Those who claim we buy oil from Daesh [ISIS] are obliged to prove it,” Erdogan said earlier on Thursday in an attempt to shift the blame for ISIS oil profits onto Damascus. “If not, you are a slanderer. Shame on you!”

“ISIL sells the oil they drill to Assad. To Assad. Talk this over with Assad you support,” Erdogan said, as cited by AFP.

Putin reminded that ISIS claimed responsibility for a number of deadly terrorist acts throughout the world, including the Russian plane bombing in Sinai and the series of Paris attacks in mid-November.

After French President Francois Hollande’s meeting with Putin on Wednesday, he said that the focus of the fight against terror should be the destruction of the Islamic State oil trade.

“It is necessary to hit ISIS training centers, to hit those centers where this terrorist army is being trained,” Hollande said.

“But the main thing is to hit the sources of financing, which give [the terror group] life in the first place – first of all oil,” The French leader emphasized.

The most effective way, the French leader said is to target “trucks that transport oil,” transferring it to buyers on the black market, “thus giving ISIS uncontrolled amount of money.”

READ MORE: ‘Fighting common evil’: Putin, Hollande agree to share intelligence on terrorist targets in Syria

The Russian Foreign ministry meanwhile wants Ankara to properly address reports of its alleged involvement with ISIS oil smuggling.

“We have a very large number of questions ... [for] the Turkish side in relation to information found in the media and social networks about the relationship with the terrorists on the oil business, all kinds of assistance to groups that carry out the relevant activities,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova.[/quote]

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Nov 2015 08:21

>> He underlined that it is Turkey’s firm belief to provide medical care for all injured people fleeing Russian ruthless airstrikes regardless of their political or religious affiliation.

this is the political cover from highest levels to run hospitals for ISIS where everyone from al-baghdadi on down can R&R

member_29247 · Post by **member_29247** » 27 Nov 2015 08:22

deleted

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 27 Nov 2015 08:24

Spinster wrote: Are all there to see. So much for their valor and battle skills.

Truer words have never been said

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 27 Nov 2015 08:25

What evidence West needs more of ISIS support when the Intel Chief of Turkey says its a reality and needs to be supported.

Why not have a ISIS consulate in Washington DC , Manned by Trained Diplomat of ISIS

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 27 Nov 2015 08:27

How about air dropping Mines in known routes used by Transport Trucks and near Turkish-Syria Border ? This should slow down the transport

member_29247 · Post by **member_29247** » 27 Nov 2015 08:32

Austin wrote:How about air dropping Mines in known routes used by Transport Trucks and near Turkish-Syria Border ? This should slow down the transport

If you want to flood refugees into turkey , mine is not a good idea

habal · Post by **habal** » 27 Nov 2015 08:36

this is what Putin ji said yesterday

"We told our US partners in advance where, when at what altitudes our pilots were going to operate. The US-led coalition, which includes Turkey, was aware of the time and place where our planes would operate. And this is exactly where and when we were attacked. Why did we share this information with the Americans? Either they don't control their allies, or they just pass this information left and right without realizing what the consequences of such actions might be. We will have to have a serious talk with our US partners."

Putin knows well that USA are terrorist accomplice, he is making soundbytes for western audience though.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 27 Nov 2015 08:37

Now that real face of Turkey has come out in full glory it is imperative for Russia to show it to the world particularly in Europe.

Russia can now bombard terrorists in northern Syria with impunity and the more Turkey tries to join the more it makes clear to the world that it is fighting on behalf of terrorists.

With superior "propaganda" machine in europe as evident from all the whining hearing sessions in US senate and congress, Russia has better handle on it than US media, whose credibility is in tatters.

If European people (not politicians) are convinced that Turkey is the real terrorist incubator (sponsor, recruiter, trainer, and manager) then possibility of oil/gas transit thru Turkey on behalf of GCC is drastically reduced.

Russia will come out better with this scenario.

Turkey has embraced Paki destiny of neither benefiting nor letting others benefit with both hands.

No wonder Turkey wants to legitimize ISIS. We will see if West also tries to do the same in coming days.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 27 Nov 2015 08:47

The West will have to come up with Good IS and Bad IS narrative in few days along the line of Good Talib and Bad , that is the bakshis Paki got and Turkey too would get it , indirectly controlling large part of Syria via good IS and FSA

habal · Post by **habal** » 27 Nov 2015 08:48

If this was just another global geo-political battle, then turks would have apologized to Russia, offered to compensate the pilot family, etc. Live to fight another day. But no they did nothing of that sort.

In Indic view turks were being proud, ottomans. But in reality they are being played by stronger powers to bear trap Russia with resultant loss-of-face. At this crucial juncture russians can not bear another loss-of-face. This is why this is no ordinary conflict. This is end-game.

johneeG · Post by **johneeG** » 27 Nov 2015 08:55

To draw an analogy:
ISIS == LeT
Turk == Pak
Amirkhan == Amirkhan

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 27 Nov 2015 08:58

correction:

johneeG wrote:To draw an analogy:
ISIS == LeT
Turk == Pak
~~Amirkhan == Amirkhan~~
USA==USA

member_28352 · Post by **member_28352** » 27 Nov 2015 09:03

Satya_anveshi wrote:If European people (not politicians) are convinced that Turkey is the real terrorist incubator (sponsor, recruiter, trainer, and manager) then possibility of oil/gas transit thru Turkey on behalf of GCC is drastically reduced.

Most Indian citizens know about Pakistani perfidy. Yet our elites schedule cricket matches with it. To assume that European public pressure will deter the Atlanticist elites is naivete.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 27 Nov 2015 09:10

That is why I said possibility is reduced and not eliminated. It is you who is naively interpreting my statement to read what you want.

No one disagrees European politicians are better at representing their people than desi counterparts (and even american counterparts). They need the public pressure to resist orders.

habal · Post by **habal** » 27 Nov 2015 09:20

isis in istanbul tram network

isis chief treated in hatay province hospital

habal · Post by **habal** » 27 Nov 2015 09:27

johneeG wrote:To draw an analogy:
ISIS == LeT
Turk == Pak
Amirkhan == Amirkhan

hopefully
Putin =\= MMS
Russia =\= India
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal =\= Hezbollah, Iran, Iraq, Greece

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Nov 2015 09:39

automajikally some previously unknown or unpalatable kurdish faction will take over larger portions of syria/turkey border quickly before russians takeover. Even raqqa may fall to them.

habal · Post by **habal** » 27 Nov 2015 09:46

yes, that would again enable USA + allies to raise cute bogey of moderate rebel.

IRGC + Syria have some hold over kurds, else they will also face massacre from SAA. The Kurds know well they are no match for SAA who are free of ISIS, Al Ciaada, turk distraction.

would be nice if greeks could shoot down a transgressing turk F16 somewhere in this melee.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 27 Nov 2015 09:50

now I wonder just exactly what Putin thinks what Pigeon Numero Uno is to do about Turkey shooting down Russian jets?

and if it is not satisfactorily resolved by the US?

attack our planes in revenge?

not likely in a mano a mano flight show down because our guys fly with air cover with some real nice gear.

he could try pot shots with his s-400's but we will just return the favor and then nobody flies over northern Syria much to ISIS relief (and turkomen "near abroad").

he could knock down our drones which generally fly unaccompanied again to ISIS relief.

in any event we'll have to wait and see how Obama wants to proceed.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 27 Nov 2015 10:01

Germans are more sympathetic towards Russians than French. At the very very least Obama will need to fool more people than just French, whose president was recently in DupliCity and may have been roadrolled over.

German air force to support France in fight against ‘murderous gang’ in Syria - Nov 27, 2015

“We won’t just strengthen the training mission [for Kurdish Peshmerga fighters] in northern Iraq, but also push forward our engagement in the battle against Isis terror in Syria with reconnaissance Tornados,” Otte said as quoted by the German branch of The Local.

“Germany will be a more active contributor [to the anti-ISIS campaign] than it has been until now,” he added.

krishna_krishna · Post by **krishna_krishna** » 27 Nov 2015 10:06

^^^^ Or just an sample of what he could do, he could fly backfire and blackjacks with su-35 cover and carpet bomb the whole border/make northern border of syria plastic much to the relief of everyone so no more ISIS in that part of the world atleast for an year. Since he does not follow your rule book.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 27 Nov 2015 10:11

TSJones wrote:not likely in a mano a mano flight show down because our guys fly with air cover with some real nice gear.

Oh well , Wish they would use that Nice Gear to stop all those long oil tankers that run to and fro from Turkey and attack Oil Storage and Refineries , Guess those nice cool gear missed those targets in the year that went by , how convenient

member_29247 · Post by **member_29247** » 27 Nov 2015 10:22

Did the doomsday clock move toward 12 even by seconds, it does always run fast in India context?

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 27 Nov 2015 10:25

Twitter block, youtube block, facebook block, media group called Koza - Ipek raided and media people beaten, now editor of a newspaper is charged with espionage and potentially treason for exposing Turkey's dealing with terrorists.

What is nice ally of US and the West!

Turkish newspaper editor in court for 'espionage' after revealing weapon convoy to Syrian militants - Nov 26, 2015

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 27 Nov 2015 10:29

Turkey has nailed its ISIS colours to the mast.Mr.Modi should take serious note of this. Putin is doing what we should similarly be doing to Pak,thanks for its terror against India,diplomatic and eco and cultural sanctions.Turks tourist loss should be India and Goa's gain! Our travel trade should immediately offer attractive packages in the Russian media.

Putin is playing it cool,v.wise.He will dismember the links between ISIS and Turkey in Syria,destroying their oil business and "thank" the Turmen for their barbarism.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/n ... ussian-jet
Russia imposes sanctions on Turkey over downed plane
Russian prime minister says punitive steps could include halting joint economic projects, restricting financial transactions and changing customs duties

Already, the country’s tourist board has suspended all tours to Turkey, a move that it estimated would cost the Turkish economy $10bn (£6.6bn). Russia also said it was suspending all military cooperation with Turkey, including closing down an emergency hotline to share information on Russian airstrikes in Syria.

Analysis/ Despite sound and fury Putin wary of letting jet incident spiral out of control

Announcements made by Moscow include banning of some Turkish poultry imports – hardly a suggestion of bellicose intent

Putin accused Turkey of deliberately trying to bring relations between Moscow and Ankara to a standstill, adding that Moscow was still awaiting an apology or an offer of reimbursement for damages. He earlier called the act a “stab in the back by the accomplices of terrorists” and promised “serious consequences”.

World leaders have urged both sides to avoid escalation. In an apparent attempt to cool the dispute – and appeal to western countries – Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in a letter to Britain’s Times newspaper that Ankara would work with its allies and Russia to “calm tensions”.

For two days, Russian officials have fumed over the incident and demanded an apology, while the Russian ambassador in Ankara was summoned in response to the Turkish embassy in Moscow being pelted with eggs and stones.

If Moscow expected to hear grovelling from Ankara, an apology was not forthcoming. The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, told CNN that Russia, not Turkey, should be apologising, and in a speech to local officials in Ankara dismissed as “emotional” and “unfitting” Russian suggestions that joint projects could be cancelled.

In response to Russian accusations that Turkey has been buying oil and gas from Islamic State in Syria, Erdoğan said: “Shame on you. It’s clear where Turkey buys its oil and gas ... Those who claim we are buying oil from Daesh [an Arabic acronym for Isis] like this must prove their claims. Nobody can slander this country.”

Russia has insisted that its plane never strayed from Syrian airspace, while Turkey says it crossed into its airspace for 17 seconds. The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said that even if this was the case, shooting the plane down was an extreme over-reaction and looked like a pre-planned provocation.

The plane’s pilot and a marine sent on a rescue mission died. The surviving navigator claimed in an interview with Russian television that he received no audio or visual warning before the plane was shot down. The Turks have released audio recordings of what they say are radio warnings issued to the plane.

Turkish military releases audio recordings said to be warnings to Russian jet

The Russia-Turkey spat makes work harder for François Hollande, who held talks with Putin as part of a diplomatic marathon aimed at building a wide-ranging coalition to launch airstrikes against Isis. “I’m in Moscow with you to figure out how we can act together in order to coordinate our actions in order to hit this terrorist group and look for political solutions for Syria,” said Hollande in televised comments before the two presidents retired for talks.

Cameron sets out 'moral case' for airstrikes against Isis in Syria – Politics live

Rolling coverage of all the day’s political developments as they happen, including David Cameron’s statement to the Commons on the case for bombing Islamic State (Isis) in Syria

Putin expressed his condolences over the Paris attacks earlier this month: “Our positions are the same. Russia has been the target of terrorist attacks for a long time. So we empathise with you, we know how you feel, how the people of France feel.”

Hollande and Putin met in the Kremlin late on Thursday. The meeting was more cordial than recent surly encounters over Ukraine, with Hollande referring to his counterpart as “mon cher Vladimir”, but appeared to yield little in the way of real progress.

As it has done for years, the issue of Bashar al-Assad’s fate still divides Moscow and most western capitals. Hollande said Assad “has no place” in a future Syria while Putin said the Syrian president had to be considered an ally.

“To successfully fight terrorism in Syria is impossible without ground operations, and there is no force in Syria which could take part in ground operations except Assad’s army. So I think Assad himself and his army is a necessary ally in the fight against terror,” he said.

Putin said he would prefer a broad coalition to fight Isis under a UN mandate, presumably with Assad’s backing, but conceded “our partners are not ready for this”. He said Russia would work with the US-led coalition where possible, but added that any further incidents such as the Turkish shoot-down of a Russian fighter jet on Tuesday were “absolutely unacceptable”. Hollande said that the two leaders had agreed on better intelligence coordination and exchange.

Analysis/ France's anti-Isis coalition: where the key countries stand

French president is calling for action in wake of Paris attacks, but the unity on destroying Islamic State only extends so far

Moscow has been carrying out airstrikes in Syria for nearly two months, which western capitals say are aimed less at fighting Isis and more at propping up the Assad regime. Putin has said the best way to defeat Isis is to support the “legitimate government” of Assad and not to allow the institutions of state to crumble, as in Iraq and Libya.

Hollande met Barack Obama in Washington on Tuesday and Matteo Renzi, the Italian prime minister, in Paris earlier on Thursday. He met David Cameron on Monday and Angela Merkel on Wednesday.

In Britain, a vote of MPs is due next week on the extension of airstrikes from Iraq to Syria. On Monday Cameron told Hollande that France could use a British airbase in Cyprus to fly missions against Isis.

Germany’s defence spokesman said Tornado reconnaissance jets would be sent to support the fight against Isis in Syria. Henning Otte said Germany would play a more active role, a day after Merkel told Hollande she would act swiftly to work out how her country could offer more support.

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 27 Nov 2015 10:37

Austin wrote:
TSJones wrote:not likely in a mano a mano flight show down because our guys fly with air cover with some real nice gear.
Oh well , Wish they would use that Nice Gear to stop all those long oil tankers that run to and fro from Turkey and attack Oil Storage and Refineries , Guess those nice cool gear missed those targets in the year that went by , how convenient

All that Nice Gear reached their intended destination for 01 year. In ISIS hands. To be used against the evil, terrorist (women, children, old people included) Yezidis, Kurds, Shiite Iraqis and non Sunni Syrians. US is the best of the best of the best friend of ISIS.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 27 Nov 2015 10:53

Austin wrote:Major Strike against Oil Smuggling planned , In the link Putin showed the video in G20 of long line of tanker in and out of Turkey , No Wonder Turkey is very upset

‘Commercial scale’ oil smuggling into Turkey becomes priority target of anti-ISIS strikes

https://www.rt.com/news/323603-isis-oil ... key/[quote]

Commercial-scale oil smuggling from Islamic State controlled territory into Turkey must be stopped, Putin said after meeting Hollande in Moscow.

“Vehicles, carrying oil, lined up in a chain going beyond the horizon,” said Putin, reminding the press that the scale of the issue was discussed at the G20 summit in Antalya earlier this month, where the Russian leader demonstrated reconnaissance footage taken by Russian pilots.

The views resemble a “living oil pipe” stretched from ISIS and rebel controlled areas of Syria into Turkey, the Russian President stressed. “Day and night they are going to Turkey. Trucks always go there loaded, and back from there – empty.”

“We are talking about a commercial-scale supply of oil from the occupied Syrian territories seized by terrorists. It is from these areas [that oil comes from], and not with any others. And we can see it from the air, where these vehicles are going,” Putin said.

We assume that the top political leadership of Turkey might not know anything about this [illegal oil trade]. Hard to believe, but it is theoretically possible,” Putin said, adding that this however does not excuse Ankara from not stopping the illegal smuggling of oil.

Putin pointed out the lack of smoke from any fires or the existence of any commercial enterprises created to deal with the destruction of oil, which would be possible to find if the Turkish leadership is aware and is seizing and destroying smuggled products, as it claims.

“But if the top political leadership [in Turkey] doesn’t know anything about this, let them find out. I can admit that there may be some elements of corruption, secret dealing, they should sort it out,” said Putin.

Putin stated that sales of oil from ISIS are in direct violation of international law, and that the proceeds from ‘black gold’ cost innocent people their lives.

“In this respect there is a special UN Security Council resolution banning the direct purchase of oil from terrorists, because these barrels, that they supply, it is not just oil, there is the blood of our citizens, because from the money [received], terrorists buy weapons, ammunition, and then conduct bloody actions,” Putin said.

However, the Turkish leadership is not rushing to investigate whether any of the ISIS oil smuggling routes end up in Turkey, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself refuting any suspicions that Syrian oil might be getting into his country illegally as absolute “slander.”

“Those who claim we buy oil from Daesh [ISIS] are obliged to prove it,” Erdogan said earlier on Thursday in an attempt to shift the blame for ISIS oil profits onto Damascus. “If not, you are a slanderer. Shame on you!”

“ISIL sells the oil they drill to Assad. To Assad. Talk this over with Assad you support,” Erdogan said, as cited by AFP.

Putin reminded that ISIS claimed responsibility for a number of deadly terrorist acts throughout the world, including the Russian plane bombing in Sinai and the series of Paris attacks in mid-November.

After French President Francois Hollande’s meeting with Putin on Wednesday, he said that the focus of the fight against terror should be the destruction of the Islamic State oil trade.

“It is necessary to hit ISIS training centers, to hit those centers where this terrorist army is being trained,” Hollande said.

“But the main thing is to hit the sources of financing, which give [the terror group] life in the first place – first of all oil,” The French leader emphasized.

The most effective way, the French leader said is to target “trucks that transport oil,” transferring it to buyers on the black market, “thus giving ISIS uncontrolled amount of money.”

READ MORE: ‘Fighting common evil’: Putin, Hollande agree to share intelligence on terrorist targets in Syria

The Russian Foreign ministry meanwhile wants Ankara to properly address reports of its alleged involvement with ISIS oil smuggling.

“We have a very large number of questions ... [for] the Turkish side in relation to information found in the media and social networks about the relationship with the terrorists on the oil business, all kinds of assistance to groups that carry out the relevant activities,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova.

[/quote]

this is erdogan's folly. they picked the wrong guy to eff with. Putin has taken of his gloves.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 27 Nov 2015 10:58

^^^ In peacetime, the Bosphorus straits are open to all. In time of war, Turkey can close them. That would separate the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean from the Black Sea, and make Russian supply lines very long. That is why Russia will be careful not to go beyond a certain point with Turkey.

PS: e.g.,
http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semp ... by-cp.html

There are basically two ways for Russia to supply its operations in Syria - one is by sea, or more precisely, from the Black Sea through the Dardanelles, the Mediterrean Sea - and the other by air and land over the Caucasus region (Azerbaidjan), through Iran and then Iraq. All these supply lines are long, and run east or west around Turkey which sits in the middle - an obstacle when it wants to.

Under the Montreux convention the Bosporus is open to Russian naval vessels in peacetime. In times of war the Turks could close it to Russia - bottling them up in the Black Sea and/or trapping them in the Mediterranean. Replenishment by sea or reinforcement to the Mediterranean would then have to come from the Baltics, which would take weeks, entirely through NATO controlled waters.

Had the shootdown resulted in the successful invocation of NATO's collective defence clause under Art.5 the resulting state of war would have allowed Turkey block the Dardanelles for all Russian naval vessels.

Also:

If the Turkish plan had gone up, and NATO had joined the fray, the state of war would have allowed the Turks to strangle the Russian contingent in Syria by closing the Bosporus, and then to perhaps inflict a humiliating defeat on Russia, eventually get their desired dismemberment of Syria, the removal of Assad and the 'redemption' of formerly Turkish territories.

And as for humiliating defeat: The Slava crusier off the Syrian coast is a potent ship but just one ship in a small flotilla off a hostile shore and it can only last so long in face of defermined and coordinated naval and air attack. Think Tsushima.

Those NATO hawks who want to embrace conflict with Russia - to increase NATO's relevance, for their own geopolitical ends, to cut Russia down to the size of a 'mere regional power', perhaps not remove but at least weaken Putin - may be at least tacitly supportive of such a scheme, or the warning the attempt implies, even when they distrust Erdogan's motives. They would probably leave him some room, or Erdogan could expect them to.

and

Erdogan's and Davatoglu's foreign policy has been characterised as 'neo-ottoman'. IMO that 'neo-ottomanism' is in essence a blend of three pre-existing themes that stand out to me as having particular relevance for reading Erdogan's and Davatoglu's foreign policy:

* Pan-Islamism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Islamism
* Pan-Turkism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Turkism
* Irredentism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irredentism

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 27 Nov 2015 11:08

Now that Putin did not take the bait and continuing with his usual program in turn just helping Turkey expose itself as to how deep it is in bed with ISIS, turkey is now shifting gears and pushing for ISIS as fait accompli.

Turkey is legitimizing ISIS if one reads its intelligence chief's statements.

I remarked that west will also try to do it in the coming days. It did not take that long. This piece of trash from Spiegel paints ISIS as "Rational Monster."

I guess we will be reading more of such things in coming days.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 27 Nov 2015 11:11

Montreux is above erdogan's pay scale.

vina · Post by **vina** » 27 Nov 2015 11:21

Well, this closing of Bosphorus is WWIII. Cant happen , won't happen. Nato won't allow it's Wog/Ali to do it. It will immediately unite the rest of black sea powers, the entire ring from Romania and Bulgaria all the way to Iran and others against Turkey , even it went alone.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 27 Nov 2015 11:26

yeah but all except Armenia and Russia are pro turkey munnas

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 27 Nov 2015 11:37

The latest revelations that Russia shared info about their aircrafts' flight ops with the US,indicates that either the US was complcit from the top (O'Bomber) in the downing of the SU0-24,or that there are rogue elements within the US strategic/intel community who passed it on to the Turks. The previous mention that an AWACS would normally been "above",monitoring events for the Turks,indicates a conspiracy to create such an incident with Russia so that the globaL mil campaign against ISIS sanctioned by the UN would be sabotaged.

Turkeys being collected fro Thanksgiving!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... plane.html
Turkey accuses Russia of slander as Moscow has 39 businessmen arrested in wake of downed plane
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Moscow of slander after suggesting Ankara buys oil from Isil, while Russia detains dozens of Turkish businessmen and threatens sanctions

Turkey accuses Russia of slander as Moscow has 39 businessmen arrested in wake of downed plane
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Moscow of slander after suggesting Ankara buys oil from Isil, while Russia detains dozens of Turkish businessmen and threatens sanctions
By Raziye Akkoc, and Roland Oliphant in Moscow 26 Nov 2015

Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan exchanged accusations of treachery and slander on Thursday, as the diplomatic fall out of Turkey shooting down a Russian warplane continued to mount.

The public recriminations came as Russia prepared to impose a swathe of punishing economic sanctions against Turkey, including abandoning a flagship pipeline project and a $20 billion nuclear power deal.

A Turkish fighter jet shot down a Russian SU-24 bomber as it carried out a mission against rebel fighters near the Syrian-Turkish border on Tuesday morning. Turkey claims the Russian aircraft violated its airspace, while Russian officials say the shooting down happened over Syrian territory.

The encounter resulted in the deaths of a Russian pilot and a marine rescuer, prompting the Russian president to accuse Ankara of “acting as ‘accomplices of terrorists,” trading with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). He also accused the Turkish president of presiding over the “Islamisation” of the country.

Mr Erdogan fired back on Thursday, calling on Mr Putin to “prove” his claims and again refusing to publicly apologise for the shoot down.

"Shame on you. Those who claim we buy oil from Daesh are obliged to prove it. If not, you are a slanderer," Mr Erdogan said, using the Arabic acronym for Isil.

In a speech to local officials at his controversial and expensive presidential palace, Mr Erdogan insisted Turkey has always fought against Islamist extremists.

"Our country's stance against Daesh has been clear since the very beginning. There is no question mark here. Nobody has the right to dispute our country's fight against Daesh or to incriminate us.”

On Thursday night, he repeated his claims about Isil oil reserves and Turkey's knowledge after meeting the French president Francois Hollande.

"We see from the air where those vehicles go. Day and night, they go to Turkey. The Turkish authorities say they're unaware of that. That's hard to believe, but nonetheless it's possible."

Ankara has insisted it will not apologise for Tuesday's incident because it was acting correctly.

Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey’s recently appointed foreign minister, said the country would not apologise "on an occasion that we are right", but revealed he had said "sorry" to Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister who cancelled a visit to Istanbul on Tuesday, a day before he was due to arrive.

Earlier in the day Mr Putin accused Ankara of “deliberately steering Russian-Turkish relations into a dead end", and attacked Mr Erdogan for leaving the apologies to his diplomats.

“We can’t explain those we had seen as our partners and allies in the anti-terrorist struggle dealt us such a treacherous stab in the back,” he said at a welcome ceremony for new ambassadors at the Kremlin on Thursday.

"We have not yet heard apologies from the highest political level of Turkey. Nor have we received proposals to make amends or promises to punish the perpetrators of this crime,” he said.

Without specifically referencing Turkey, he reiterated allegations that “some countries” had facilitated the rise of Isil through “passiveness” and “direct complicity".

"Terrorists and their illegal trade in oil, humans, drugs, pieces of art and weapons were not only covered up and are being covered up, but someone continues earning money on this," Mr Putin said.

The recriminations came as Russia readied a raft of retaliatory economic measures, including scrapping a number of major joint investment projects and restricting travel between the two countries.

Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian prime minister, called the incident “an act of aggression by Turkey,” and ordered ministers to draw up a list of retaliatory economic sanctions within two days.

Alexei Ulyukayev, the economy minister, has said steps under considerations included limits on flights to and from Turkey, scrapping plans for a joint free trade zone, and dropping high profile joint ventures including TurkStream, a projected under-sea gas pipeline, as well as a $20 billion nuclear power plant Russia is building in Turkey.

TurkStream would have piped gas under the Black Sea to Turkey, from where it would be pumped onwards to Europe.

Construction of the pipeline was originally scheduled to begin in June this year, but the start date had been postponed after Turkey and Russia failed to agree a formal contract for the project. The Russian energy ministry had previously said an agreement could be signed in December.

The first signs of a crackdown on travel and business links with Turkey appeared on Thursday afternoon, when Russian immigration officers arrested several dozen Turkish businessmen for visa violations.

The 39 businessmen, who had been attending an agricultural industry conference in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar, were arrested on Thursday afternoon for entering the country without business visas.

“Turkish citizens require a visa to enter the Russian Federation to engage in business activities or for commercial reasons, and the citizens in this case entered Russia for commercial purposes,” VartanTer-Saarkyan, the deputy head of the Krasnodar region migration service, told a local television station.

One member of the group said he was not aware that he required a visa, and said he had told immigration officers when he arrived that he was visiting the trade exhibition.

“We asked which box we should tick and they told us to tick ‘tourist,’” Baris Kalkan, one of the detained travellers, said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoganRussian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Photo: AP

Another of the group said immigration officers had left them in no doubt that the arrests were revenge for destruction of the Russian jet.

“We didn’t know what was happening, it was as if we were hostages,” a businessman called Senk Beykara told CNN Turk. He added that he had never experienced any problems before, but that during the arrest he heard one of the officers say “you shot down our plane, so this is what you get.”

The group face a fine of 2,000 to 5,000 rubles (£20 to £50) each and deportation.

On Thursday night, Russia and France agreed to intensify the exchange of intelligence information and coordinate their strikes against Isil.
During a visit by Mr Hollande, Mr Putin suggested the United States may have conspired with Turkey to shoot down the jet.
"They knew where our plane was going to be and when it would be there," he said, referring to an agreement under which Russia and the United States share information about planned missions over Syria.

"What did they do with that information? Share it with their allies? We are very concerned about this and we will hold consultations about it."

In an editorial for The Times on Thursday, Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish prime minister, insisted that Turkey was protecting its sovereign territory.

"The downing of an unidentified jet in Turkish airspace was not — and is not — an act against a specific country. Turkey took action, based on standing rules of engagement, to protect the integrity of its sovereign territory."

Mr Davutoglu stressed the need for countries to work together tackle the international threat Isil poses and urged Europe not to let such terror attacks by Isil foment an anti-immigrant feeling.

"Letting anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and antisemitic voices hijack the political discourse undermines Europe’s ability to promote tolerance of all faiths and cultures. Turkey joins with those defending a humane vision for Europe."

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 27 Nov 2015 11:39

Did anyone pass it on yet?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/charlestief ... good-news/

In Yemen War, Mercenaries Launched By Blackwater Head Were Spotted Today -- Not Good News