Putin says Turkey downed Russian jet to defend IS oil suppliesDecember 1, 2015 - 11:20 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia has accused Turkey of shooting down its warplane near the border with Syria in order to protect its oil trade with the Islamic State (IS) group, BBC News reports. Speaking at international talks on climate change in Paris, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the downing of the plane a "huge mistake". Turkey has denied any ties to IS and is part of a US-led coalition carrying out air strikes against the militant group. The Turkish government has refused to apologize for the incident. Russia has imposed sanctions on Turkey over the downing of the plane, including restrictions on imports of Turkish food and an end to visa-free travel. IS earns much of its money from illegal sales of oil - however, Turkey has staunchly denied that it is involved in the trade. "We have every reason to think that the decision to shoot down our plane was dictated by the desire to protect the oil supply lines to Turkish territory," Putin said at a news conference in Paris on Monday, November 30, according to BBC. He said Russia had received more information to show that IS oil was passing through Turkish territory. Related links: Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. Armenian, Azerbaijani heads of parliament meet in Switzerland President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Border residents overnight on highway to protest Armenia’s Residents of Kirants continue to express outrage over the government’s decision to cede land to Azerbaijan. Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. |