The Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, has stated his belief that Turkish leader Recep Erdogan is playing an important role in igniting the new conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, known as Artsakh in Armenian.
In particular, the Syrian leader pointed out that the Turkish state was sending paramilitary proxy-groups to the region to fight on the side of Azerbaijan, fighters that have previously worked for Turkey in both the Syrian civil war and the Libyan civil war.
Fighting in Artsakh broke out on September 27th, and hundreds are already believed to have been killed. The Artsakh region sits inside official Azerbaijani territory; however, the region is populated by Christian Armenians who say that they are mistreated and discriminated against by both the Azerbaijani Muslim majority and the Azerbaijani state.
In an interview with Russia's RIA News Agency, Assad stated:
"He (Erdogan) supports terrorists in Libya, (and) he was the main instigator and initiator of the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Damascus can confirm this."
Assad is not the first world leader to make such statements regarding Turkey's use of mercenary proxies in the emerging conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron made the same claims earlier this week.
These accusations are in line with what was said by award-winning journalist Lindsey Snell in late September when she reported that the 'Hamza division' which had been fighting in Syria previously, were being transported from Libya to the new conflict in Artsakh. The Hamza division is said to have jihadi sympathies. Snell provided several pictures showing the division being transported.
From Hamza Division source. Supposedly these Hamza men arrived in Baku today via Ankara. pic.twitter.com/lgUcSl1Fkp
— Lindsey Snell (@LindseySnell) September 22, 2020
The Hamza division was allegedly sent to Baku, the Azerbaijani capital. In a voice recording captured by the journalist, it is claimed that 1,000 mercenaries in total are being sent to the region by Turkey.
Recording claims 1000 TFSA will be sent to Azerbaijan between the 27th and 30th. I've also heard from multiple sources that some are already there. pic.twitter.com/sman56Swfb
— Lindsey Snell (@LindseySnell) September 21, 2020
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the accusations saying:
"The allegations are groundless and completely misleading. Recently, we observed in some foreign media a slanderous campaign against Azerbaijan, spreading absolutely groundless and fake information in this regard … It is nothing else but desperate attempts by Armenia to divert the attention of the international community, while facing a mobilization and planning problem to recruit armed groups on a voluntary basis, including foreign mercenaries. There is no doubt that Armenia, which has recruited mercenaries and terrorists from the Middle East as part of its aggressive policy against Azerbaijan, is behind this fake campaign."
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