It is advisable to refrain from denouncing Turkey and from labeling it as an accomplice of the Islamic State, Mr Jasper Wieck, Head of Defense and Security Policy Division of the Foreign Ministry of Germany, told the media in Yerevan on Friday. 

Doing so would be a hasty conclusion, because there is no acknowledged proof that the Turkish government has rendered any secret assistance to IS, he added.

On the contrary, Turkey is one of the states most affected by the armed clashes in Syria, he underscored. About 1,7 mln civilians have found refuge in Turkey, and this is a major security challenge for that country. It’s extremely difficult to scrutinize each civilian to find out whether he is a disguised militant or is in any way associated with the IS, he told.

He also downplayed media reports (some coming from Turkey itself) that Turkey provides prompt medical assistance to IS terrorists, leniently allowing them to cross the border and then rushing them to nearby hospitals.

“The association with the IS is not marked on the forehead, so claims about the commitment of these people lack evidence”, German official added.

Answering the remark on how the IS manages to monetize its oil exports, if not through Turkey, he objected that Turkey is not a totalitarian country, and the State cannot bind all the businesses and individuals with a 100% control.

Anyway, the situation is very complex, and cannot be resolved within the snap of a finger. “In any case, Turkey is a member of the anty-IS coalition, and exercises a lot of effort to make sure that oil revenues are not channeled back to IS through Turkey”, Wieck concluded.