The grouping of Turkish troops, which is now on the territory of Azerbaijan, numbers about six hundred people, including instructors. Kommersant writes about this with reference to military and diplomatic sources.
According to the interlocutors of the publication, the Turkish military remained in the country after the joint Azerbaijani-Turkish exercises, which took place after the escalation between Armenia and Azerbaijan in July. Their goal is to coordinate the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan during the offensive operation on the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh Republic). They were also engaged in military intelligence.
In particular, there are 90 military advisers in Baku, who ensured communication of units with the general headquarters, 50 military instructors operate in the Nakhichevan region of Azerbaijan, bordering Armenia, and another 50 instructors work in the 4th Army Corps of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Another 20 instructors were sent to the capital military school named after Heydar Aliyev.
There are many specialists from the Turkish Air Force (Air Force) in the Turkish grouping: 120 flight technical personnel are deployed at the Gabala airbase, 50 instructors work at the Yevlakh military airfield and another 20 drone operators at the Dallar airfield. In addition to them, 200 people from the battalion tactical group, 20 instructors at the naval base remained in Azerbaijan. The group is armed with 18 BMPs, one multiple launch rocket system, ten vehicles and over three dozen aircraft, including 20 drones, six aircraft and eight helicopters.
Armenia and the NKR announced the direct participation of Turkey in the battles on the territory of Karabakh on the second day of the conflict, September 28. Then Yerevan reported that a Turkish fighter shot down an Armenian Su-25 attack aircraft in the airspace of its country. In addition, according to the Armenian Defense Ministry, Baku almost immediately transferred control of the air operation in Artsakh to Turkish specialists.
Baku and Ankara initially denied joint participation in the hostilities, stressing that Turkish support is purely diplomatic. However, later evidence of the presence of the Turkish Air Force in Azerbaijan began to appear in the media. On October 5, President Ilham Aliyev actually acknowledged Turkey's participation. Baku also makes statements that the conflict cannot be resolved without Ankara.
