AP investigation finds evidence of Turkey’s new multi-layered crackdown on oil smuggling, long believed to be the flourishing trade that strengthens the Islamic State group. (Oct. 6)
SHOTLIST:
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Hacipasa, Altinozu district, Hatay Province, Turkey – 20 September 2014
1. Wide of Azmarin village in Syria, as seen from Turkey, with armored Turkish military police vehicle seen patrolling border
2. Various of Turkish armored military police vehicle patrolling border
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Besaslan, Reyhanli district, Hatay Province, Turkey – 20 September 2014
3. Various of monitoring camera turning on top of an armored military police vehicle parked along Turkey’s border with Syria
AP PHOTO – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Antakya, Hatay Province, Turkey – 30 September 2014
(AP Photo/Desmond Butler)
4. STILL Image of 22 year old waitress Sevda, looking out from bridge
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Hacipasa, Altinozu district, Hatay Province, Turkey – 20 September 2014
5. Azmarin seen from Turkey, where most oil smuggling is believed to take place
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Besaslan, Reyhanli, Hatay Province, Turkey – 20 September 2014
6. Wide, military police checkpoint
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Antakya, Hatay Province, Turkey – 30 September 2014
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sevda (no last name given), former oil smuggler: (Transcript below)
++FACE WAS BLURRED TO PROTECT SEVDA’S IDENTITY++
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Kilis, Turkey – 28 September 2014
8. Trucks lined up by the side of the road at Oncupinar border crossing with Syria
9. Close-up truck driver Ibrahim Akalin
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Besaslan, Reyhanli, Hatay Province, Turkey – 20 September 2014
10. Close-up, military police checkpoint
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Antakya, Hatay Province, Turkey – 20 September 2014
11. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Orhan Mardinli, Lieutenant Governor, Hatay Province: (Transcript below)
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Hacipasa, Altinozu district, Hatay Province, Turkey – 20 September 2014
12. Men in Azmarin as seen from Turkey who appear to be pumping water from the Orontes River
13. Various of Turkish observation tower
14. Tractors digging up illicit underground oil pipelines coming in from Syrian side of border
MILITANT VIDEO
++VIDEO AND AUDIO CONTENT CHECKED AGAINST KNOWN LOCATIONS AND EVENTS BY REGIONAL EXPERTS
++VIDEO IS CONSISTENT WITH INDEPENDENT AP REPORTING
++THE AP HAS MADE EVERY EFFORT TO IDENTIFY AND ACCESS THE UGC FROM THE CONTENT CREATOR, HOWEVER THE AP CANNOT ROUTINELY COMMUNICATE WITH MILITANT SOURCES
EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
++THIS VIDEO WAS UPLOADED TO A SOCIAL NETWORK ACCOUNT OF A MILITANT FROM THE ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND THE LEVANT++
Beiji, Iraq – 18 June 2014
15. Various of ISIL fighters driving in vehicles through Beiji chanting Islamic slogans and waving their rifles and black ISIL flags, local people gathered on street taking photos and filming with mobile phones, AUDIO: chanting and honking horns
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Washington, DC – 6 October 2014
16. Graphic, with Islamic State group logo
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Antakya, Hatay Province, Turkey – 20 September 2014
17. Vehicles driving down a road nearing checkpoint where security forces are checking for contraband fuel
18. Truck being pulled over by policeman
19. Truck being inspected
20. Diesel sample in plastic container
21. Sample being placed in machine used for determining fuel quality
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Kilis, Turkey – 28 September 2014
22. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ibrahim Akalin, truck driver who used to sneak back with tanks loaded with illicit Syrian diesel: (Transcript below)
23. Various of truck driver Ibrahim Akalin
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Antakya, Hatay Province, Turkey – 20 September 2014
23. Various of checkpoint
VOICE-OVER SCRIPT:
ALONG THE TURKEY-SYRIA BORDER, IT USED TO BE A GOOD DEAL …
RUNNING SMUGGLED DIESEL OVER TURKEY’S WILD AND DANGEROUS BORDER WITH SYRIA.
THIS 22-YEAR-OLD WAITRESS MADE A SMALL FORTUNE, SOMETMES 20 TIMES HER SALARY, UNTIL SEVERAL MONTHS AGO WHEN SHE WAS ARRESTED AND HER EMPLOYERS SLAPPED WITH A MASSIVE FINE.
(SOT: Sevda (no last name given), former oil smuggler)
“In the past they would only pull over vehicles once or twice a day, but now they’re on the roads a lot. They cut the border off.”
BEFORE THE CLAMP DOWN, SEVDA SAYS, TRUCKS AND CARS WERE OFTEN BACKED UP NEAR THE SYRIAN BORDER.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DISCOVERED THERE’S A DIFFERENT SITUATION NOW ON THE GROUND …
(SOT: Orhan Mardinli, Lieutenant Governor, Hatay Province)
“Security measures are at the highest level at ground zero where contraband oil was being smuggled.”
THE MAIN TRANSIT POINT IN TURKEY’S FUEL SMUGGLING BOOM WAS THIS DUSTY VILLAGE ALONG THE ORONTES RIVER – THROUGH SCORES OF ILLICIT PIPELINES.
THE DIESEL, CRUDELY REFINED IN SYRIA, EMERGED FROM SPIGOTS IN COTTON FIELDS WHERE EAGER BUYERS LINED UP.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES BEGAN DIGGING UP THOSE PIPELINES MONTHS AGO …
WESTERN INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS SAY TURKEY WAS TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THE FLOURISHING FUEL TRADE THAT WAS STRENGTHENING THE ISLAMIC STATE GROUP – A TRADE SOME ANALYST SAY PROVIDED THEM WITH THREE MILLION DOLLARS A DAY.
BUT IN DOZENS OF INTERVIEWS, A REMARKABLY SIMILAR PICTURE EMERGES: OIL SMUGGLING WAS BOOMING UNTIL ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, WHEN TURKISH AUTHORITIES CRACKED DOWN ON THE ILLICIT TRADE.
THE AP ACCOMPANIED POLICE ON A TOUR OF ANTI-SMUGGLING MEASURES IN HATAY PROVINCE, OBSERVING NEW CHECKPOINTS AND BORDER PATROLS.
TURKISH REFINERIES USE AN ADDITIVE THAT MARKS LEGITIMATE DIESEL, MAKING SMUGGLED DIESEL EASY TO SPOT.
(SOT: Ibrahim Akalin, truck driver who used to sneak back with tanks loaded with illicit Syrian diesel)
“There’s no chance of buying diesel fuel there in Syria. There are big fines. Maybe you can find it by illegal means but it’s completely forbidden. There are cameras everywhere and no one is taking the risk.”
TURKEY SAYS IT SEIZED 4.4 MILLION GALLONS OF FUEL AT THE BORDER IN THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, ABOUT FOUR TIMES AS MUCH AS IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
TRACY BROWN/Associated Press
