US seeks to take Turkey’s terror complicity off table: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed William Jones, a member of the Executive Intelligence Review in Virginia, about an agreement between Moscow and Washington that the Turkish borders with Syria and Iraq must be closed as a key measure in fighting against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: We can actually see that Turkey did not apologize to Russia for the downing of its bomber but it is still playing nice with Russia, Russia still insisting that Turkey will pay the price. What measures can Russia take against Turkey?  

Jones: Obviously they can continue with what they have been doing, its economic measures of not importing Turkish food. There are probably a lot of other things that could be done short of military action and President Putin has been quite explicit that they do not intend to go that route but there is a lot of economic collaboration between Turkey and Russia, including Russia was intended to build a nuclear power plant in Turkey, there were a lot of other projects that were planned there, those are all in bans right now because of the situation on the ground and because of the Turkish shoot down of the Russian jet.

It seems that the accusations that are being laid out by the Russians probably have a lot of basis to it but the United States is still trying to get Turkey off the hook and to keep them in the alliance in spite of the fact that they have been proven colluding with elements of the ISIS in the sale of oil, which is another indication of what everybody knew it was going on all along.

Press TV: Well UN Security Council Resolution 2199 actually states that there is supposed to be no trade with terrorists specifically with Daesh in this case. Do you think the United States is genuinely unaware of the business between Turkey and Daesh?

Jones: I think they know quite well what is going on. Look, the NSA has one of the most extensive apparatuses for finding out what is going on throughout the world especially in…the NATO countries. They certainly are not unaware of the fact. However, there is a very great reticence in bringing this to the public domain because they feel that this would undercut what they are trying to do, not so much against ISIS but also in their campaign against …al-Assad. So they are keeping playing mum on this issue but I think they know very well it is better than even the proof that Russians may put forward that this collusion is going on.

Remember prior to several months ago when the Turks said finally that ‘we are going to be engaged against ISIS,’ that there were all these ISIS operatives going across the border without any problems from the Turkish authorities, that became a kind of a blatant violation. They felt they could not get away with that so they joined this coalition but since they have joined it, they have targeted the Kurds rather than ISIS and I think there are still a lot of the goings-on with ISIS to bring in the oil to Turkey from these sources.   

Press TV: Washington had earlier said that they are not actually pleased with what Turkey has done. It has not done enough to fight Daesh. Now given that Moscow and Washington are now realizing the need to close the Turkish border with Syria, do you think that is going to be something that is feasible?  

Jones: I hope they are able to do this. I mean they have to get the Turks on board. Lavrov and Kerry have been working, I think overtime, trying to pull something together but there have been opposition and different signals coming from the White House itself with regard to that.

The chemistry between Putin and Obama is very bad. Obama has shown no indication of really understanding what the Russians are demanding in this respect and attacking every chance he has - Putin - but there are moves now on the diplomatic side to get something into motion. The real question is will the Turks be brought on board? Will they either be prevented from conducting operations that would undercut sealing of the border or even would they be able to come in as a positive force to try and help to seal the border? That is the real question.

I think the US and Russia can find a means of dealing with this but in one respect it is also an attempt to take the whole issue of the Turkish complicity here off the table by getting all the parties to say, yes we are in agreement, we will seal the borders so that the violations themselves would become history. So there is a dual message that is coming on here but if they can seal that border,  that indeed would be a positive thing in the fight against ISIL.

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