A Turkish military transport aircraft carrying at least 20 personnel crashed in neighboring Georgia, prompting immediate international cooperation and a search for survivors amid unconfirmed reports of fatalities.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paused a speech in Ankara to express sorrow for “martyrs,” a term he frequently uses for military personnel killed in the line of duty. He did not officially disclose the cause of the incident or the number of casualties.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also conveyed “sad news of the loss of military personnel” during a phone call with President Erdoğan.
The C-130 plane, which had departed from Ganja, Azerbaijan, went down in a rugged area near the Georgian-Azerbaijani border. This region consists of forested floodplains and hills.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed that 20 Turkish personnel, including the crew, were aboard the aircraft. However, it did not clarify if personnel of other nationalities were also present.
Local media had reported that the American-made plane carried both Turkish and Azerbaijani personnel, though specific numbers were not provided.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that his Georgian counterpart, Vladimer Geladze, reached the wreckage in Georgia’s Signagi municipality, Kakheti region, around 5:00 PM local time yesterday. Rescue operations remain ongoing at the crash site.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has initiated an investigation into the air transport incident and the loss of life.
Lockheed Martin, the U.S. manufacturer of the C-130 Hercules, expressed its condolences regarding the incident. The company also offered its full cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
The C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft widely used by armed forces globally. It is designed for transporting personnel and equipment and can operate from unprepared runways.
Azerbaijan is a close ally of Turkey, which is a member of NATO.