A Turkish military cargo plane carrying 20 personnel crashed on Tuesday in Georgia’s Sighnaghi municipality, near the border with Azerbaijan, officials from Turkey and Georgia confirmed.
While immediate details on casualties remain unclear, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated there were losses, describing the tragedy as deeply saddening.
The C-130 aircraft took off earlier from Azerbaijan en route back to Turkey before spiraling uncontrollably and crashing, according to Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense. Video shared by Turkish media showed the plane trailing white smoke as it descended.
Turkey’s defense ministry announced that all passengers were military personnel, including the flight crew. A joint search and rescue mission has been initiated involving Turkish, Georgian, and Azerbaijani authorities aiming to locate survivors and recover the aircraft.
Georgian officials have launched a formal investigation into the crash. The Georgian Interior Ministry specified the incident occurred in the Sighnaghi region, reinforcing the close geographic proximity and military ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan.
President Erdogan extended condolences to the families of the “martyrs,” pledging to overcome the tragedy with minimal setbacks. The C-130 model involved is a mainstay of Turkey’s armed forces, primarily used for transport and logistical support.
This accident underscores the risks associated with military air operations in a strategically sensitive area where Turkey and Azerbaijan maintain robust defense collaboration.
