Stu,
If you trust the previous owner's story based on his word, then I guess this settles it. But if you feel you need to consult the collective knowledge of the forum, then you should be prepared to explore all possibilities, including the ones, which are not nice.
To me, this kindjal looks like an old blade in modern fittings.
There are a lot of reproductions, varying in quality, coming out of the Caucasus nowadays - from the Kizlyar factory in Dagestan to numerous small shops in Georgia. The rules prevent me from linking to eBay, but if you do a quick search, you can easily find an eBay store from Georgia, which offers antiques as well as modern reproductions (souvenirs) of decent quality. Then you can examine the reproductions and see why so many of us here suspect that the fittings of the kindjal you posted are modern - post WW2 at the earliest.
As for the marking, the crescent and star are found on the flags of Turkey and Azerbaijan. I guess this may have prompted the Turkish attribution, along with the multiple, centrally placed fullers. Such blade style is often found on Turkish pieces.
Sorry if this is not what you wanted to read, but I think it would benefit you the most to read as many varying opinions as possible, and then decide for yourself.
Best regards,
Teodor
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