Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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New York, SANA – The UN Security Council unanimously adopted on Thursday a resolution aimed at fighting funding of terrorism and strengthening legal measures against those doing business with terrorist groups mainly ISIS, al-Qaeda and any other group, company or organization linked to them.
The binding document, which is based on UN Charter Article no. 7 and takes effect immediately, calls on members to “move vigorously and decisively to cut the flow of funds” to ISIS.
It says that governments must prevent its citizens from funding or providing services to “terrorist organizations or individual terrorists for any purpose, including but not limited to recruitment, training, or travel, even in the absence of a link to a specific terrorist act.”
The resolution, which was co-sponsored by Russia and the United States, was adopted after the finance ministers from the 15-nation council met for the first time in New York.
Churkin: Majority of ISIS oil smuggling done via Turkey
Addressing the Security Council session, Russia’s UN Envoy Vitaly Churkin disclosed that ISIS terrorists carry out the majority of the group’s oil smuggling through Turkish territories.
The largest volume of oil products is sold via Turkey, with thousands of tanker trucks going through border crossings in Karkamis, Akcakale, Dzhilvegezyu and Ondzhupynarm.
He made it clear that the smuggled oil is then delivered to a refinery of the Turkish company Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS (Tupras) in the province of Batman.
“The sale of hydrocarbons from the territories controlled by ISIS shows no signs of abating,” said Churkin.
“The largest flow of hydrocarbons is shipped via Turkish ports in the Mediterranean, mainly through the port of Ceyhan,” he added, noting that oil smuggling brings ISIS militants at least 1.5 million dollars per day.
However, Churkin said, The Russian airstrikes on the ISIS targets in Syria have significantly reduced the amounts of illicit exports of oil, adding that the terrorists use alternative sources of financing, including other natural resources, agriculture and industry, amounting to around USD 700 million per year.
Reem/H.Said
