Boko Haram: Turkish Airlines Allegedly Ships Arms To Nigeria, Incriminating Phone Recording Reveals

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, March 18, (THEWILL) - A leaked telephone conversation between an assistant executive of Turkish Airlines and an advisor to the Prime Minister of Turkey has revealed that the Turkish carrier has allegedly been shipping weapons to groups in Nigeria, which is currently battling terrorism and repeated deadly attacks orchestrated by the Boko Haram and other groups in northern Nigeria.

Thousands have been killed in various attacks in northern Nigeria by the Boko Haram and other groups.

The new incriminating phone call which emerged on Tuesday, according to a report by the AFP, is the latest blow to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been hit by a corruption probe ensnaring his key allies and a widening phone-tapping scandal.

In a tape posted on YouTube, Mehmet Karatas, an assistant executive of the airline, allegedly tells Mustafa Varank, an advisor to Erdogan, that he feels guilty over national flag carrier's arms shipment to Nigeria.

"I do not know whether these (weapons) will kill Muslims or Christians.

I feel sinful," Karatas is allegedly heard saying.
The leaked call has the potential to harm the airline's image -- which is 49 percent state-owned and is in an aggressive push to become a global player.

It is the latest in a series of recordings implicating Erdogan and his aides in corruption and other abuses of power ahead of crucial local polls on March 30.

The Turkish strongman has dismissed most of the tapes as "vile" fakes put together by rivals.