According to the Wall Street Journal of 14 October 2020, hundreds of “Syrian rebels” are on their way to Azerbaijan. Each will receive a salary 7 to 10 times higher than the average salary in Syria [1].

The departing rebels claim they want to serve Turkey, the only country which is still helping them.

Turkey has already funneled 5,000 jihadists from Syria into Libya and at least 1,000 more towards Azerbaijan. Several dozen of them have already died in Artsakh, as reported by the obituaries on jihadi websites.

Russia regards this influx of jihadists into its area of influence as a major threat. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu telephoned President Erdoğan on 13 October, demanding he provide an explanation.