Offering financial incentives | Turkey recruits new Syrian mercenaries to start campaign in Niger, after similar campaigns in Libya and Azerbaijan
Turkish authorities continue their lies to draw Syrians to join military battles outside Syria. Although pro-Ankara fighters have motivations to take part in the Turkish propaganda, extreme poverty in north Syria is the major reason behind applying the Turkish offer, which is manifested in participating in military battles just for money. Accordingly, the fighters who accept this offer have been turned into mercenaries. Some of those fighters come with reasons justifying their accept to participate in battles that are not related to the war in Syria, while others have been brainwashed under different pretexts. One of those brainwashed fighters, who have been prepared to be transported to Niger in a few days has told SOHR activists that they will go their to fight ISIS, according to promises by commanders of the Turkish-backed “Sultan Murad” faction.
Financial incentives
SOHR activists have obtained confirmed information about the monthly salaries that will be paid to Syrian mercenaries participating in military battles alongside Turkey in Niger.
A commander in “Sultan Murad” faction has told SOHR activists that every mercenary has signed a six-month-long contract with a monthly salary of 1,500 USD. “According to the contract, every mercenary, who sustains injuries during the battles, will by given a sum of money that can reach 35,000 USD, according to the degree of disability caused by the injury and it is identified by a specialist doctor, while the families of mercenaries who are killed in those battles will take 60,000 USD every family,” added the commander.
Speaking to SOHR, a fighter known by his initials as H. R. from Hama countryside said “I am the breadwinner of a family of five, and I suffer from a financial distress and debt accumulation for years, after having been displaced. I will join fighting in Niger in the ranks of “Sultan Murad” faction, although I had refused to fight previously in Libya and Azerbaijan. Fighting in Niger is a chance for me to pay my debt and start a new life, in the case I return safely. Even if I am killed there, the compensation will help my family to secure their needs for a long time. My companion, who is known as K. B. from Idlib countryside left Syria among the first batch, and he arrived in Burkina Faso in Africa a few weeks ago, but I could not communicate with him since then.”
Mercenaries’ journey
In 2023, “Sultan Murad” faction started registering the names of fighters who would be sent to Niger, where some fighters were exploited and they were forced to pay bribes that reached 200 USD every fighter in return for being accepted as a mercenary and sent to Niger.
It is worth noting that fighters of “Sultan Murad” faction had priority to be sent to Niger, where the faction supposed to send 3,500 fighters in batches. A batch of 300 Syrian fighters of “Sultan Murad” faction led by “Fahim Issa” already left Syria on December 29, 2023. That batch included elite fighters who have high combat qualifications and high fitness. The batch comprised Turkmen, Arab and tribal fighters.
According to SOHR sources, “Sultan Murad” faction transported the fighters secretly to the Turkish military crossing in Hawar Killis in the northern countryside of Aleppo and handed them over to Turkish intelligence service, where the fighters’ mobile phones were confiscated, before they underwent medical checkups and were given new IDs. The fighters later underwent cultural courses about the objectives of the fight in Niger, where Turkish commanders told the Syrian fighters that they would fight ISIS which is responsible for killing civilians.
It is worth noting that communications with the mercenaries have been suspended, and it is difficult to verify if they have arrived in Nager, where communications have been confined only to the commanders of the faction.
Meanwhile, Turkish government and the “National Army” follow the policy of media blackout, fearing angry reactions by Syrian people, especially since the Turkish regime faced public angry in Syria, after having sent Syrian fighters to Libya and Azerbaijan to join military battles there.
A security sources in “Sultan Murad” factions has told SOHR activists that the first batch set off from Turkey by air to Burkina Faso on December 30, 2023, without undergoing to any military drills. The sources has also confirmed that the batch’s fighters practicing military activity after having arrived in Niger for weeks, where they left Burkina Faso by land.
The commander said that the faction has received preliminary information about attacking a military post of the Syrian and foreign mercenaries in Burkina Faso near the border with Niger in January 20, but no Syrian casualties have been reported.
Turkish government continues exploiting the dreadful living conditions of Syrians in areas under the control of Turkish forces and their proxies, many of whom are displaced people inhabiting refugee camps, to recruit them and turning them into mercenaries, before throwing them to military battles outside Syria that serve only the Turkish interests.