A Turkish mercenary in the Ukrainian army poses with Nazi flags
An English wall
The presence of Nazi flags among the belongings left behind by Eyüp Görkem Yılmaz, a 20-year-old Turkish mercenary who fought in the Ukrainian army and fled before Russians captured their station, sparked controversy on social media.
Yılmaz, who had been serving in the city of Zaporizhzhia for the past few months, escaped a Russian raid on October 10 with minor injuries.
However, images of the equipment he left behind in the barracks along with his personal documents were published by the Russian-backed Telegram channel. Among the items he left behind were Nazi symbols and a piece of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
In an interview with an online news platform freedomthe 20-year-old mercenary said, “I work under the 60th Mechanized Brigade, which means I’m officially part of the Ukrainian army. I have no connection to any legion.”
The soldier said he was originally from Trabzon province areas, but had a step-family in Ukraine. He added, “My parents are Turkish, and my family without blood ties is Ukrainian. Likewise, Crimean Tatars. A Turk must protect another Turk. A Turk has no friend but another Turk.”
Yılmaz said he has been a nationalist and said, “I prioritize Turkey and Ukraine above everything else. These two nations are my nations.”
Yılmaz said the items with Nazi symbols were meant for “fun.”
He added, “I’m not a Nazi at all. I just wear them for humor. The FSA flag was a gift from a dear friend of mine. I also have a Turkish flag and a Ukrainian flag. I could raise the flag Flag Georgian too; that doesn’t mean I’m Georgian.
Yılmaz discussed the legal implications of his actions, stating, “According to the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), enlisting in foreign military forces is a crime. Therefore, this is not investment advice.”
He later elaborated on his financial compensation for his service, “You receive a certain salary every month, about 400 dollars. In addition, there is a bonus for staying in a dangerous area, which is around 2,500 to 3,000 liras per day. If you complete 30 days, you can earn an additional bonus of about 55,000 to 60,000 liras. So, in total, it amounts to about 4,800 dollars for a month, as long as you don’t leave the ditch. But it’s not worth it.”
Yılmaz added that he spends the money on the computer game “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” or on weapons equipment. He added that he is not the only Turkish mercenary in the Ukrainian army.
Finally, Yilmaz urged others to vote for the far-right Victory Party (ZP) in Turkey’s elections.
In several parts of the interview, Yılmaz used extensive racial slurs and racist comments against Jews, Arabs and Kurds. He claimed that those who oppose him would either be part of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), communist or “Arab lovers” along with other slurs.