A Turkish View of the Wagner Group in Syria

OE Watch Commentary: The Wagner Group is a Russian private military company that has played a role in Russian operations in Syria. While the Russian Government has not yet officially acknowledged the existence of this paramilitary group, it gained attention on 7 February when personnel from the company carried out an attack on Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Deir Ezzor. The accompanying excerpted article from the Turkish newspaper Haberturk reports on the Wagner Group and it provides some insight into the Turkish perspective of its activities in Syria. The article notes several things about the group, but it only provides information that has been published in a number of other media outlets around the world. Despite actively engaging in the Syrian civil war, the Turkish government has not made any comments on the presence of the Russian mercenaries in Syria. End OE Watch Commentary (Gunduz)

Source: “Rusya uzmanları Putin’in paralı askerleri olan Wagner Grubu’nu anlattı (Russian experts talked about Putin’s mercenaries of Wagner Group),” Haberturk, 26 February 2018. http://www.haberturk.com/wagner-grubu-nedirrusya-uzmanlari-putinin-parali-askerleri-olan-wagner-grubu-nu-anlatti-1853055

The Russian media refers to the group as a paramilitary unit equipped with heavy weapons and armored vehicles, but without officially acknowledging it. However, it is believed that it operates under the directives of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Then why doesn’t this paramilitary unit officially exist? Professor at Moscow State University Kerim Has provided Nalan Koçak from the Habertürk newspaper with answers: “Private paramilitary companies in Russia are prohibited by law. However, the Kremlin allows its citizens to work as mercenaries abroad. Knowingly they [the Kremlin] create legal loopholes. However, these mercenaries are not allowed to work inside the country. These mercenaries first appeared in Ukraine as Slavic paramilitary units. Later, around 2015 these paramilitary units formed the Wagner Group. I want to point out that this information has not been officially confirmed by [Russian Government].”