ANKARA
Turkey is not in cooperation with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, neither by buying oil from it nor by other political means, said Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz on Friday.
Yildiz answered the questions during the inauguration of the Anadolu Agency's 'Energy Desk.'
He said allegations that Turkey was colluding with ISIL were introduced to "damage" Turkey's international standing.
"Of course the hostages are important for us and the actions towards ensuring their safe return were successful but I have to say that Turkey supporting ISIL is unacceptable by us."
Yildiz was referring to the 46 Turkish hostages, who have been held captive by ISIL militants since June after the militant group took control of Iraq's second city Mosul. The hostages were released last Saturday.
"ISIL oil cannot be sold through Turkey. That is not the road we are on," Yildiz said.
He added that the Turkish Ministry of Customs and Trade continued efforts to curb down smuggling of any kind, Yildiz said.
"The allegations that smuggled ISIL oil [from Iraq] comes to Turkey [...] is untrue," he added.
"It is out of the question that Turkey will supply any kind of financial support for ISIL. Neither politically nor technically is that acceptable," Yildiz said.
'Turkey is most advantageous route for Mediterranean gas'
The Turkish energy minister also touched upon Turkey's potential engagement with Mediterranean gas projects and said, "Turkey will not have a policy preventing the private sector from talks with Israel on natural gas discoveries in Mediterranean Sea."
Turkey's relations with Israel have seen a historic low since 2010 when Israeli commandos boarded a Gaza-bound aid ship from speedboats and helicopters and killed nine Turks aboard, which came to be known as the flotilla incident.
"Turkey is the most advantageous route for Eastern Mediterranean gas in offshore Israel and Cyprus, however, Turkey has to approach this subject without misusing the advantages. There are more important problems than that, issues related to the tragedy of Gaza," he said, referring to the Israeli onslaught last August in the Palestinian enclave which killed more than 2,200 people.
The main market for the Mediterranean gas is the European market and another alternative route, Egypt, stands in a lower position when it comes to pricing mechanisms and quantity, he said.
"Israel knows that well. Turkey is very clear. Turkey said that it can work on economic feasibility if the political feasibility can be achieved, and Turkey also stated that those two aspects are inseparable. A statement like ‘Let’s develop energy policies alone and Palestine issue is a different one’ is not acceptable."
Yıldiz also denied allegations by a German daily that Turkey sold jet fuel to Israel, and was seeking for technology to build an atomic bomb.
"These allegations do not reflect the truth and are complete lies. Turkey does not deserve intentional accusations that aim to destroy its political dignity," said Yildiz.
A Turkish newspaper had claimed in July that the fuel used by Israeli war planes was sent to Israel from the ports of Mersin and Dortyol on Turkey's Mediterranean coast.
German newspaper Die Welt has claimed that Turkey was seeking to acquire enriched uranium to develop a nuclear weapon.
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