GROZNY, November 28. /TASS/. Leader of the Russian North Caucasus republic of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov has accused Turkey of assistance to terrorists and refuted the allegations that the Turkish always provided help to the Chechens.
"I have been an object for reproaches that I am against Islam and am supporting the infidels," Kadyrov said on a social network on Saturday.
"I love facts so I am asking a question: when, where and how has Turkey helped Chechnya and my people? Show me a single school, a hospital, a kindergarten or a mosque built as a gift to Chechnya! Give me one example!" Chechnya’s head asked rhetorically. "Yes, you have helped the Wahhabis, terrorists and raised money for them. You gave medical treatment and holiday-making accommodation to [the terrorists like] Udugov, Umarov and Basayev. They and their accomplices used to organise terror acts and kill Chechens. Is this your help?"
Kadyrov noted that in the 19th century Turkey cheated by inviting tens of thousands of Chechens and then welcomed them with severe living conditions. Five years later, half of them died while attempts to return to homeland "were cut short by gunfire."
"Nowadays Turkey has become a base for recruitment and dispatch of terrorists to Syria," Kadyrov said. "Bandits from all over the world are passing via Turkey. But the very few are detained. Turkey does not struggle against the ISIS (former name for the so-called Islamic State terrorist organisation outlawed in Russia)! The country does business with them, buys oil and allocates money to Islam foes that kill thousands of Muslims. What is more! Who backed the authors of caricatures on the Prophet in Paris? And I condemned in a very tough manner the magazine and gathered over a million of people in Grozny who voiced a resolute protest heard around the world."
Kadyrov said that even if "the Earth burns to ashes" he would not make a single step against Islam. He pledges to be the Wahhabis’ enemy and says has sworn to fight against them throughout his lifetime.
"Russia is home to 30 million Muslims," he said. "It is our Fatherland! And the downed plane is ours! And the pilot is ours! And you know that Russia is home to millions of Muslims. Then why did you shoot down our plane? Why did you murder our pilot who fought against ISIS protecting the Muslims? And because of your consent and indulgence the West has destroyed Iraq, Syria and Libya. Now tell me what are your reasons to blame me of being against Islam? I am a defender of Islam! While the Turkish leadership goes on helping to destroy Islamic states and peoples."
The downing of Russian Su-24 bomber by Turkey
An F-16 fighter jet from the Turkish Air Force shot down a Russian Su-24M bomber on Tuesday. Ankara claims the Su-24M bomber violated the Turkish air space in the area of the border with Syria.
However, Russia’s Defence Ministry has said the Su-24M plane stayed exclusively over the Syrian territory and "there was no violation of the Turkish air space."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the attack on the bomber will have "serious consequences" for the Russian-Turkish relations. According to Putin, the Turkish Air Force’s attack on the Russian combat plane that took part in the operation against terrorists in Syria and posed no threat to Turkey is a "stab in the back of Russia."
The crew of the Su-24M bomber managed to eject but one of the pilots was killed by gunfire from the ground. The second pilot was rescued and taken to the Russian air base.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Turkey was steering the relations into the gridlock as it neither apologised, nor offered to repair the damage, nor promised to punish those responsible,
In an interview with CNN, Erdogan warned Moscow that Turkey would take steps if its warplane was downed by the Russian S-400 missile system in case of violation of the Syrian airspace.
"I think if there is a party that needs to apologize, it is not us," he said. "Those who violated our airspace are the ones who need to apologize.".