Turkey’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed that all 20 people on board a C-130 military cargo plane have died after the aircraft crashed shortly after crossing into Georgian airspace from Azerbaijan.
According to official reports, the plane had been returning from Ganja Airport in Azerbaijan when it disappeared from radar screens without issuing any distress signal. The aircraft was en route back to Turkey as part of a routine military operation.
Search and rescue teams from Georgia and Turkey launched an immediate joint operation following the loss of contact. The wreckage was later located near the Georgia–Azerbaijan border, though authorities have not yet released details about the cause of the crash.
In a statement, Turkey’s defence ministry expressed deep sorrow over the loss of its personnel and confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Regional aviation authorities have also been notified, and efforts are underway to recover the victims and secure the crash site.
