LOC23:23
20:23 GMT
ISTANBAUL, Sept 18 (KUNA) -- Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz on Thursday denied recent claims that his country bought oil from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Turkey legally imports oil from 13 countries, Anadolu Agency (AA) quoted the minister as saying at a press conference after his meeting with Georgian Energy Minister Kakhaber Kaladze in Ankara.
"Turkey is a state of law. We have agreements to purchase oil from 13 different countries such as Russia, Iran and Iraq. It's not just about the oil trade, we don't have any relations with ISIL," Yildiz affirmed.
Taner also pointed out Minister of Customs and Trade Nurettin Canikli's statements regarding non-existence of any oil purchasing activity with ISIL, noting that smuggling has never ever been a legalized activity.
Turkey's fight against smuggling has been ongoing on for long year and it is impossible to provide support for such a militant group, the minister noted.
He added that the Turkish leader and other government officials were angered by the hostile attempts to show Turkey as a supporter of, and sympathizer with, ISIL.
He denounced as big failure the attempts to distort Turkey's image by linking it to ISIL. (end)
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