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Assad says US selling stolen Syrian oil to Turkey

The Syrian leader noted that before the Americans, the Jabhat al-Nusra and later the Islamic State used these wells

Syrian President Bashar Assad Alexey Druzhinin/Russia's presidential press service/TASS

Syrian President Bashar Assad

© Alexey Druzhinin/Russia's presidential press service/TASS

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/. The United States is selling to Turkey oil seized from Syrian oil wells, Syrian President Bashar Assad in an interview with China’s Phoenix Television published by SANA news agency on Monday.

In comment on what happens to oil produced from the wells to the east of the Euphrates, Assad said "now America is the one stealing oil and selling it to Turkey."

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The Syrian leader noted that before the Americans, the Jabhat al-Nusra and later the Islamic State (terror groups, outlawed in Russia) used these wells. "The Turkish regime plays a direct part in selling the oil, previously with al-Nusra, later with ISIS and today with the Americans," Assad said.

In late October, US President Donald Trump declared plans to withdraw US forces from northern Syria where Turkey was carrying out an operation. However, he said Washington would keep control over oil fields in northeastern Syria.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that Washington was smuggling Syrian oil to other countries, and the convoys were under protection of US private military companies and special ops units.

US Special Envoy for Syria James Jeffrey insisted that the US presence in the region was legal and Washington sought to ensure that oil fields in northeastern Syria would not be seized by terrorists. In late November, Jeffrey emphasized that under the Syrian constitution oil belonged to the Syrian people.

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