Syrians in rebel areas against Turkish deployment in Azerbaijan

Azeri tanks targeted by the Armenian army in Nagorno Karabakh on September 27, 2020. Armenian Defense Ministry via AP

Text by: Sami Boukhelifa Follow

2 min

The Turkish army is deployed on six distinct fronts: two in Syria, one in Iraq, one in the Mediterranean, one in Libya and now alongside Azerbaijan in conflict with its Armenian neighbor.

To wage all these wars Ankara sometimes calls on Syrian auxiliaries like in Libya, and now in the Caucasus as well.

But this latest deployment does not pass.

The Syrian population in the rebel areas considers it unacceptable, mainly for ideological reasons.

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In Idleb, a Syrian opposition activist who requires anonymity has witnessed the Turkish army recruiting young Syrians in recent weeks.

He is adamant that his compatriots are currently deployed in Azerbaijan: " 

It is about 300 to 400 Syrian fighters at most 

".

If they are few, it is for confessional reasons.

Syrians from rebel areas, Sunni Muslims, refuse to send their children to Azerbaijan.

“ 

Azerbaijan is a Shia country, and those who are harming us here in Syria are Shiite militias allied with the regime.

These are the Iranians and Hezbollah.

So we said to those young people who wanted to enlist for Azerbaijan: do you really want to support those who kill us?

It is a sensitive subject.

In the end, it's only those who need the money who left. 

"

Because Turkey pays cash: 1,800 dollars per month for each fighter who accepts to join its ranks, confides this militant of the opposition.

For their part, the Syrian rebels allied with Ankara claim to have sent no combatants to Azerbaijan.

Contacted by RFI, their spokesperson Youcef el-Hmoud denounces a campaign of disinformation.

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  • Syria

  • Turkey

  • Azerbaijan

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