SADAT International Defense Consultancy Inc.
SADAT Inc. International Defense Consultancy () is a private Turkish PMC headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the country's first domestic military consultancy firm, founded in 2012 by former Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) brigadier general, Adnan Tanrıverdi. The company operates within the Middle East and provides services such as military and interior training, defense consultancy, and ordnance procurement. SADAT's mission and purpose remains shrouded in controversy, facing allegations from anti-Justice and Development Party (AKP) sources. These allegations range from supporting establishing a private army loyal to President Tayyip Recep Erdogan. It has close  communication and cooperation with the Turkish National Intelligence Organization. Sadat's CEO admits working with Turkish intelligence agency on March 21 2021. Company profile. Adnan Tanriverdi, along with 22 other Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs), created SADAT Inc. on February 28, 2012. The organization maintained a board of directors including Adnan and four other members. His son, Mehli Tanriverdi, is the current chairman of the board. The company employees between 50 and 200 former TSK officers from various branches and specializations. Its list of services include: The company's stated mission is "establishing the connection  among the Islamic countries in the sense of defense and military industries, in order to assist the Islamic world to take the rank it deserves among super world powers as a self-sufficient military power, by submitting them the services regarding the organization of armed forces, defense consultancy, military training, and ordnance." SADAT Inc. has a sister organization, ASSAM, with a more political focus that was also headed by Adnan Tanriverdi until January 2020. It runs a strategic studies center and hosts annual conventions. Controversies. Connection to President Erdogan and AKP. Following the attempted coup of July 15, 2016, President  Erdogan appointed Adnan Tanriverdi to his cabinet as chief military counselor. The close relationship between Tanriverdi and Erdogan, who were relieved from political and military offices in the late 1990s for their Islamic convictions, has sparked allegations of corrupt behavior. These accusations including the belief that SADAT represents and exists as Erdogan's "private militia." Involvement against the 2016 coup d'état attempt. According to American Enterprise Institute's (AEI) Michael Rubin, SADAT personnel were active and participated in anti-coup efforts on the night of July 15, 2016. Rubin and others reference social media posts and videos captured by Turkish  citizens, which supposedly show SADAT personnel attacking putschists on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey. Training Islamist Jihadists. Sources state that SADAT is actively training Islamist elements who adhere to a Islamic ideology in Syria and other locations in the Middle East. These locations include Somalia and Qatar, where Turkey has established military training centers and formed cooperative partnerships with the host countries' governments. Additionally, a QatariLeaks video identifies the Sudanese port city of Suakin as another potential site of SADAT involvement. Involvement in Syrian Civil War. In 2012 Aydınlık newspaper reported that SADAT established several bases in the Istanbul  and Marmara region and trained Syrian fighters. SADAT transported Syrians in these facilities for training and then Turkey used them in Syria. In 2015, the SADAT founder called in an interview for the establishment of autonomous Turkmen and Sunni Arab areas along the Turkish-Syrian borders. Connections with Hamas. In 2018, the Israel Security Agency accused SADAT of transferring funds to Hamas. Involvement in Libyan Civil War. In 2020, the United States Department of Defense accused SADAT of training Syrians who were sent to support pro-Turkish forces in Libya. According to a report by the United States Africa Command , the Syrian mercenaries are paid and supervised by SADAT trainers who also trained other militias in Libya. In March 2021, the United Nations released a report which mention that SADAT violated the UN resolutions in Libya. Involvement in 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. SADAT has been responsible for recruiting, equipping, and transporting Syrian mercenaries to Azerbaijan, in order to fight at the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.