Sadat: Proxy Force – Informal Security Structure – Turkey’s Group Wagner?
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Abstract
Conflicts in the MENA Region and the South Caucasus experience an increase of proxy forces, used by state actors to exert influence. With the private military company SADAT, Turkey is deploying a PMC in Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan and domestically. This papers recounts the background of the PMC and its founder before going into its operations and use as a proxy force. By taking a closer look at controversies, e.g. its use during Turkey’s 2016 coup, its Turkish-Nationalist but also Islamist leanings and the alleged support for terrorist organizations, a bigger picture is presented. Additionally, a comparison to Russia’s Wagner Group, highlights the importance of this means of influence, but also President Erdoğan’s restructuring of internal security. The paper stresses that SADAT is testament to a worrying trend of using PMCs as proxy forces to assert influence and circumvent internationally condemned military interventions.