Turkish businessman Melih Tanriverdi seethes at the suggestion that his private defence consultancy has become Ankara's secret weapon in wars across North Africa and the Middle East.
SADAT International Defense Consultancy has gained growing scrutiny over US allegations that it trains Syrians who then get dispatched to support pro-Turkish forces in war zones such as Libya.
The firm was established in 2012 by Tanriverdi's father Adnan -- a brigadier general whose service ended during a purge of Islamic influence from the traditionally secular military in 1996. Its span of proposed operations -- coloured green on a company logo showing a world map -- stretches from North Africa to the Middle East and parts of central and southeast Asia.
"SADAT has never been in Syria, Libya or Azerbaijan," he said. "Do you really think we are professional enough to fool the global powers?""There are credible sources that suggest SADAT plays a key role in training and mobilising proxies in Syria and using them as mercenaries," American University and Orion Policy Institute terrorism expert Suat Cubukcu told AFP.
"SADAT has ideology-oriented and much more intertwined relations with its home government," Cubukcu said.