Turkish Military Cargo Plane Crashes Near Georgia-Azerbaijan Border, All 20 Aboard Killed

Search and rescue teams have reached the wreckage of a Turkish C-130 military cargo plane that crashed earlier on Tuesday near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, Türkiye’s Communications Director Burhanettin Duran announced.

Duran stated that rescue teams had taken all necessary safety measures before approaching the crash site, emphasizing that investigations into the cause of the tragedy would be conducted “with great care and precision.” He expressed deep sorrow over the loss of Turkish soldiers, describing the crash as a moment of national mourning. “May Allah have mercy on our heroic soldiers who became martyrs, and I wish patience to their families and loved ones. Our nation shares in this deep sorrow,” he said.

According to the Turkish Defense Ministry, the C-130 aircraft was carrying 20 people, including the flight crew, while en route from Azerbaijan to Türkiye when it went down inside Georgian territory. All those on board were killed in the crash. The ministry confirmed that Georgian search and rescue teams reached the wreckage around 5 p.m. local time and have secured the site for examination by Türkiye’s crash investigation team.