For a long time there was still some skepticism whether Turkey was providing military and other support to members of the Islamic State. As we reported last week, that skepticism was promptly eliminated following the release of transcripts of phone calls that took place between Turkish military officers and Mustafa Demir, the ISIS commander in charge of the Syria-Turkey border.

The transcripts are part of a court case on ISIS at the Ankara 3rd High Criminal Court. “The issues alleged in the case came to light because of an investigation launched following information given by six Turkish citizens whose relatives joined ISIL,” Today’s Zaman reports. “Upon the application by the relatives, monitoring of the communications of 19 people started, and a prosecutor named Derda Gökmen reportedly filed a claim against 27 suspects."

The transcripts are as follows:

Date: Nov. 25, 2014; 8:26 p.m.



A.A.: Was that you, the ones with a torch?

Mustafa: Well, with a little torch, where are you big brother? At the place where I told you to be?

A.A.: Yeah. We also saw you, your men…

Mustafa: Is it possible for you to arrange that I talk with the commander here, regarding the business here? What if we could establish a contact here as we helped you...

A.A.: Okay. If there are any needs [as far as your request is concerned], [tell them] to inform me here.

Mustafa: If it will be enough to contact you [to settle the issue], no problem.

A.A.: I'll pass this now. I have two military posts [at the border] there. If worse comes to worst, I'll tell that to the commander of the station and have him take a look…

**** ****



Time: 7:12 p.m.



Communication made by the telephone registered in the name of A.B.



A.B.: We're where you gave [him] the vehicle, we are in the mine [field]. We've put on a light. We have stuff; come here from that side, the men are here...

Mustafa: Okay, big brother, [I'm] coming.

A.B.: Come urgently; I'm in the mine [field] with a torch. Come running.

Mustafa: Well, big brother, is it the place where I gave First Lieutenant Burak a car?

A.B.: Yeah, just a little further down from that place. Our two vehicles are on the Turkish side [of the border].

Mustafa: Okay.

A.B.: We are also in the mine.

Mustafa: I'll right be there, big brother.

And while there was at least some mystery whether Turkey was supplying ISIS with weapons, supplies and others goods and services in exchange for "ISIS oil" there has never been any doubt as to who provides Turkey with its own weapons. The following disclosure by the US Department of Defense revealing a $683 million procurement order by Turkey for BLU-109 "bunker buster" bombs makes sure of that:

Contracts Press Operations Release No: CR-036-16

February 26, 2016 Ellwood National Forge Co., Irvine, Pennsylvania (W52P1J-16-D-0041); and General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Garland, Texas (W52P1J-16-D-0042), were awarded a $682,900,000 firm-fixed-price, foreign military sales contract (Turkey) for BLU-109 penetrator bomb bodies and components. Bids were solicited via the Internet with three received, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2020. Funding and work location will be determined with each order. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

Yes, the "war against ISIS" in which Turkey both drops US-made "bunker buster" bombs on the Kurdish opponents of Turkey's "president for life" Erdogan, and provides weapons to ISIS, sure is profitable... to US corporations.