Journalist Reports Turkey to Transfer Syrian Mercenaries to Afghanistan in September

Amid Turkish-American negotiations regarding the transfer of the security of Kabul's airport to Turkey, reports are circulating that Turkey will soon transfer Syrian mercenaries to Afghanistan. Turkish journalist Fehmi Taştekin, known for his opposition views, provided comments on the matter.

During a guest appearance on the show hosted by the Armenian Haiko Baghdadi on the Turkish channel 'Artı gerçek,' Taştekin mentioned that news has already emerged from Syrian circles about the possible transfer of mercenaries to Kabul in September. Ermenihaber reports that, “According to claims, Syrian militants will be registered as employees of Turkish private security companies. If the agreement regarding the security of Kabul airport comes to fruition, they will start their transfer to Afghanistan from September.” He added that the Turkish intelligence agency MİT has held meetings with six Syrian armed groups in the Kilis region and instructed them to prepare for the first phase of the transfer of 2,000 soldiers. There is already an agreement regarding compensation,” said Taştekin.

He emphasized that these discussions are still speculative and it might be a bit early to talk about them, while also recalling that in the case of Libya, news about the transfer of fighters was initially denied, only to be proven otherwise later. Taştekin also discussed Ankara's motivations for transferring mercenaries to Afghanistan, stating, “Turkey currently has a military presence there (in Afghanistan) of 600 soldiers. The airport has been managed by Turkey for 4-5 years. Moreover, it is not just maintaining security; they are also operating it. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar stated that there will be no new reinforcements. If there are no new reinforcements, how will this large operation be carried out? This is where the idea of transferring militants arises in people's minds. They also want to get the funding from NATO.”

It is reported that Turkey has proposed to send troops to Afghanistan to protect and continue operating Kabul's international airport following the withdrawal of American and NATO forces from the country. The U.S. and its partners have agreed on a plan for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan by September 11.