Recently, the UK-based The Times newspaper has published an article about the Azerbaijani army, claiming Turkey's alleged sending of mercenaries to Azerbaijan to fight against the Armenian armed forces. The newspaper has published a letter by Azerbaijani Ambassador to UK Tahir Taghizade in response to the article.

The letter reads: “Sir, your report does not reflect reality. Why would Azerbaijan need guards from another country when it has its own highly skilled and adequately equipped armed forces?

Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey is solely limited to the provision of military training. On the other hand, the only Middle Eastern involvement in this conflict so far is the illegal settlement of ethnic Armenians from Lebanon and Syria in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.”