Production of cotton in Syria has been hijacked by Islamic militants. After seizing oil and grain fields to fund their offensive, jihadis have also taken control of three-quarters of the production of cotton in Syria. The key concern is that Syrian cotton tainted with militant blood could make its way to international markets via Turkish wholesalers. IS-controlled parts of Syria are located close to Turkey, a huge supplier of clothing and fabric to the EU.

Syrian cotton is an issue at top fashion houses of Paris. Buyers of haute couture collections at top labels have become vigilant over the origin of their fabrics. IS has until recently been sending to Turkey raw cotton grown in the Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor regions that account for a third of Syrian output. But Turkey has now officially refused to accept this cotton.

The conflict in Syria has led to a drop in cotton production. If before the war Syria was producing around 6,00,000 ton per year, it has dropped to 70,000, of which 3000 is officially exported. IS militants have begun to sell the raw fibre to intermediaries who transport it to processing centers located in areas under the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Processing and export of cotton has long been a state monopoly in Syria.