After previously battling in Syria and protecting Turkey’s interests in Libya, fighters from the Syrian National Army, a group of opposition militias backed by Ankara, returned to Syria to train between five days to two months before transferring to Azerbaijan, SNA sources told the news magazine.
Turkey has thrown its firm support behind Azerbaijan, saying it is ready to do whatever is necessary to eject Armenian forces from the region. Turkey and Azerbaijan have denied allegations from France, Russia and Iran that Ankara is sending Syrian mercenaries.
Turkey has also said, without providing evidence, that militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – which has fought an insurgency against Turkey for decades – are aiding Armenia.
Foreign Policy said the first fighters were transferred in late September to southern Turkey and then flown from Gaziantep to Ankara, before being transferred to Azerbaijan on September 25. SNA commanders arrived earlier to explore the region and coordinate with the Azerbaijani military about the distribution of troops, it cited fighters as saying.
Although fighters are offered four-month contracts for 11,650 Turkish lira ($1,500) a month, a sizeable monthly income in the Syrian economy, many are regretting signing up, especially after a reported 55 Syrian mercenaries have been killed in more hands-on fighting than they had been promised, the magazine said.
Fighters were told they would be mainly manning points along the border, but have instead been thrust into direct clashes with Armenian separatists, with little support from Azeri forces, it said.
“There is no synergy or communication between us and the Azerbaijani fighters,” one fighter on the ground in Azerbaijan’s Barda district told Foreign Policy.
“All fighters are unhappy with the situation here in Azerbaijan. The psychological situation is bad after the martyrdom of a number of our friends.”
One SNA fighter in Afrin, Syria, said the arrival of the dead was a “tragic day like had not been witnessed before” in rural Aleppo.
“We blame the Turkish government for taking advantage of our poor and the young’s hunger for money,” said one grieving family member of a slain fighter. Foreign Policy said families did not want to reveal their identity, lest they lose the promised 60,000 Turkish lira ($7,800) in compensation for the fallen fighters.
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