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Turkey Complicit with ISIS in
Selling Looted Artifact Treasures


By Stephen Lendman
3-31-16

 
RT International obtained documents revealing Turkey’s involvement with ISIS in selling stolen oil and looted artifacts, saying:

“Along with oil smuggling, a lucrative trade in antiquities has become ISIS’ source of income to support its devastating operations, many of which leveled unique historic sites such as Palmyra.”

“Artifacts, some worth thousands of dollars apiece, have been turning up in antique markets from eastern Europe to the US.”

Plundered treasures transit through Turkey to destinations abroad. ISIS’ so-called ministry of natural resources has a department of artifacts.

A document showed complicit Ankara border authorities let a Turkish antiquity dealer enter Syria for “purposes of mutual profit,” said RT. It states:

“To the brother responsible for the border, please assist the passage of brother Hussein Hania Sarira through your post along with the man from Turkey -the artifacts trader, for the purpose of working with us in the department of artifacts in the Ministry of Natural Resources. May Allah bless you, Loving brother Abu Uafa At-Tunisi.”

Kurdish YPG fighters discovered abandoned artifacts in Shaddadi, a town they liberated from ISIS. Documents obtained by RT show the group transits them along the same route used to obtain weapons, munitions and other material support.

YPG captured militant Abu Ayub al-Ansari said he was “sent…to serve in Tel Abyad on the Turkish border. Sometimes we even crossed the Turkish border and served there. We saw the Turkish army passing by, but there was never any kind of conflict between us.”

“When the Kurdish militia took over Tel Abyad, the connection was lost and foreign fighters could not get in. The communication with the Turkish security services was broken. We could only communicate via civilians or spies.”

“The goods that came from Turkey have also disappeared because the Kurdish YPG fighters have blocked the road through Tel Abyad.”

“Also, the tankers can’t drive through the area. That has put the organization in a complicated financial situation.”

RT’s obtained evidence along with volumes disclosed earlier by Russia and others show undeniable Turkish complicity with ISIS - Erdogan and other regime officials profiting hugely.

Western leaders turn a blind eye to what’s ongoing. Media scoundrels report nothing.

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

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

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network..


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