MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The vice president of the security and intelligence committee in the Turkish parliament, Mehmet Altay, on Thursday rejected in a comment to Sputnik allegations that Turkey sent mercenaries from Syria to fight against Nagorno-Karabakh republic forces alongside Azerbaijani troops.
"The Turkish chiefs of staff and the Ministry of Defence alongside the leadership of Azerbaijan have indicated in the necessary statements regarding the allegations of Turkey sending Syrian fighters to the Nagorno-Karabakh region", Altay said, adding that "these allegations are unfounded."
Erdogan Toprak, an adviser to the head of the Turkish opposition Republican People's Party, told Sputnik he doubts that Turkey would send Syrians to fight in the breakaway region as Azerbaijan was fully capable of fighting on its own.
"I find it unlikely that Ankara would send Syrian fighters to the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and believe that these allegations are unfounded and untrue, as Azerbaijan has a powerful military, unlike the Armenian army with regards to the number of personnel and structure. I therefore rule out this possibility", he said.