Turkey

Reliable sources have informed Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) that the Turkish government has thrown Syrian mercenaries into the ongoing battles in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In a telephone conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which took place the evening before, September 30, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stressed the need to maintain peace, security and stability in the region.

The Fatah-Hamas reconciliation talks in Istanbul have fueled debate on whether Turkey could increase its influence over the Palestinians, who are desperate for regional support amid normalization deals between Arab countries and Israel.

The Armenian claim, which is so far unsubstantiated, follows days of major fighting with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Turkey and Azerbaijan have categorically rejected a claim from the Armenian Ministry of Defense that a Turkish F-16 Viper fighter jet shot down an Armenian Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft …

In an echo of events in Libya, rebels from Syria’s Idlib province are being recruited by Turkey to fight for Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, The Guardian has reported, citing several militants.

Islamist cult leader Ahmet Mahmut Unlu, a pro-government figure, announced that he is ready to name at least 150 Salafi associations, along with their locations, as part of preparations to fight in Turkey.

Three days after his attempt to cross the Syrian-Turkish border, Ahmad al-Nasser’s fate remained unknown. “He didn’t send me a message to reassure me as he did during his previous attempts,” al-Nasser’s wife told Syria Direct. “He would always let me know that he was okay.”

Turkish police detained 16 foreign nationals over links to the Daesh terrorist group as part of a counterterrorism operation in the capital Ankara. The suspects had been in contact with Daesh terrorists in conflict zones, Ihlas News Agency (IHA) reported, citing security sources.

On Sept. 9, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu embarked on a three-day trip to West Africa, which included stops in Mali, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau. During his trip, Cavusoglu emphasized Turkey’s support for Mali’s post-coup transition process, struck infrastructure-related commercial deals with Guinea-Bissau, and underscored its commitment to engaging with multilateral …

Syrian army reinforcements have arrived in the key town of Ayn Issa, while a bridge has been deployed across the Euphrates to help civilians cross writes Al-Masdar.