Putin: Turkey Shot Down Jet to Protect Oil Trade with ISIS

Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that Turkey shot down its fighter jet to avoid disrupting oil trade with the group known as the 'Islamic State'. This comes as the Turkish President has denied these allegations. On December 9, Putin described the downing of the Russian fighter jet as a 'huge mistake'. He also stated that he has not met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Both presidents are currently in France attending a Paris summit on climate change. It was previously reported that Erdogan would attempt to meet with Putin in Paris to ease tensions, but his earlier attempts to contact the Russian president by phone went unanswered by Moscow. Putin stated in France, 'We have obtained more information indicating that oil from the Islamic State... is entering Turkish territory.' He added, 'The decision to shoot down the plane was specifically to protect oil imports.' A significant portion of the financial resources for the so-called Islamic State is reportedly sourced from oil sales from fields in Syria that are under the group's control. In response, Erdogan rejected Putin's statements, calling them a form of 'accusation'. Turkey has officially stated that the Russian fighter jet entered its airspace and that the pilots were warned multiple times before being targeted. The only pilot rescued from the incident claims that no warnings were received from Turkey. Meanwhile, Moscow has stated that its jet was shot down over Syrian territory. The downing of the Russian Sukhoi has significantly impacted the relations between the two countries. On December 7, Putin ordered a series of economic sanctions against Ankara. Moscow is demanding an official apology from Turkey, which Erdogan has so far refused to provide. The day before, U.S. President Barack Obama, in a meeting with his Russian counterpart, expressed regret over the death of one of the Russian pilots and urged Putin to de-escalate tensions with Turkey. In this context, Putin issued an order for economic sanctions against Turkey.