1800 Dollars and Turkish Citizenship: 'Novaya Gazeta' on Mercenaries Moving to Artsakh

The Russian newspaper 'Novaya Gazeta' has published an extensive investigative article presenting the mechanisms, conditions, and the use of mercenary terrorists from Syria by Azerbaijan in the conflict against Artsakh. According to Armenpress, the article's author Vadih al-Hayek notes that, although Turkey and Azerbaijan have so far denied the information about the transfer of mercenaries from Syria to the conflict zone in Nagorno-Karabakh, the facts tell another story.

Vadih al-Hayek publishes a photograph of one of the mercenaries, identifying him as Mohammed Shaalan, who was killed during combat operations in Nagorno-Karabakh. 'He is Syrian, originally from the small town of Al-Atarib near Aleppo. He previously fought as part of the Suvar al-Sham Brigade, which is part of the Syrian Free Army. After the start of military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh, he went there to fight for Azerbaijan. He was killed on the very first day of the conflict,' al-Hayek writes.

The journalist also presents data from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, stating, 'According to these data, 134 Syrian citizens have been killed in the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh. Thirteen of them died within the last 48 hours. All of them were recruited by Turkish nationals to participate in the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Representatives of the secular opposition in Syria told us that more than 185 Syrian mercenaries have been killed since the beginning of the conflict.'

According to him, some Syrians sent to Azerbaijan have already approached Turkish intermediaries asking for help to return home without receiving their owed salaries. 'It is hard to say how many Syrians are currently in Azerbaijan, but the initial reports mentioned about 1000. It is important to understand that at that time, during the early days of the escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the primary recruitment was underway. Later it decreased somewhat because the nature of the fighting in Karabakh changed. There is no direct infantry firefight currently; the battles are mainly conducted with drones and artillery. But we do not know if Azerbaijan will require fresh Syrian blood,' the author mentions.

Earlier, 'Novaya Gazeta' had already reported on the recruitment system for militants in Idlib, Syria, and the conditions under which they participate in the war initiated by Azerbaijan. Vadih al-Hayek managed to clarify details about how the recruitment of militants and their transfer to the conflict zone in Nagorno-Karabakh was organized. 'The process involved several combat formations simultaneously in Idlib and southern Turkey. Here are the names of the Syrian field commanders directly involved in recruitment: Mustafa Sayjarin, one of the commanders of the 'Syrian National Army' formed under Turkey's auspices, who previously represented the northern 'Muntasir' combat brigade; Abu Amsha, the leader of the 'Suleiman Shah' brigade; and Seif Abu Bakr, the leader of the 'Hamza' brigade, as well as commanders of the 'Sultan Murad' brigade,' the investigative journalist notes.

According to the author, mercenaries were offered attractive conditions—a monthly salary of 1800 dollars, which the fighter would receive immediately upon return; if he does not return, his family will receive that amount, as well as an additional 30,000 dollars. 'In any case, the mercenary and his family are guaranteed Turkish citizenship. Under such conditions, a large number of Syrians are willing to go to fight in Azerbaijan for Turkey's interests. Those men, who received 600 Turkish lira (about 77 dollars) in Idlib for participating in military operations against Assad's army, now see an opportunity to escape poverty and earn a significant amount of money to marry and have a normal home instead of living in a tent under the rain and snow. This is a whole generation that has grown up during the Syrian civil war. A 14-year-old boy at the beginning of the Syrian revolution has turned into a 24-year-old young man living in horrendous conditions in a refugee camp, with no prospect for the future. This generation is the core of Turkey-loyal militants that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan uses in conflicts from the Caucasus to North Africa, opposing that force to Russia,' Vadih al-Hayek emphasizes.

The journalist notes that it is becoming increasingly clear that there is a common thread connecting Syrian militants fighting for Turkey in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, who are mainly pro-Turkish Syrians. 'These are Turkish sub-ethnics residing in northern Syria. Historically, they are loyal to Turkey, and many of them believe in the idea of a “Blue Homeland.” The 'Blue Homeland' is an officially declared and implemented foreign policy initiative of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since 2006, which invokes the glory of the Ottoman Empire. As is known, the Ottomans controlled the maritime routes from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea as well as the lands in between them, including Crimea. President Erdogan has claimed the same ambitions, both at sea and on land,' the author concludes.