NEW YORK (Southernfront)– Two F-16 fighter jets believed to be of the Turkish Air Force have been spotted in Azerbaijan’s Ganja International Airport.
New York Times journalist Christiaan Triebert shared on October 7 satellite images showing two F-16s and a possible CN-235 cargo aircraft in the Azerbaijani airport. The fighter jets are most likely of the Turkish Air Force.
The new images, which were taken on October 3, are an evidence of Turkish involvement in the ongoing battle between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Ministry of Defense of Armenia accused Turkey of playing a role in Azerbaijan’s aerial operations over Nagorno-Karabakh, a few days after the outbreak of the battle in the region on September 27.
On September 29, Armenia announced that one of its Su-25 fighter jets was shot down by a Turkish F-16 that took off from Ganja Airport in Azerbaijan.
Five days after the incident, Armenian forces carried out a large rocket strike on Ganja Airport. The strike reportedly targeted Turkish military assists deployed in the airport.
Beside supporting Azerbaijan’s aerial operations, Turkey was behind the deployment of hundreds of Syrian militants on Nagorno-Karabakh’s frontlines. Ankara’s real role in the ongoing conflict appears to be larger than what was originally thought.