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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Tuesday following the crash of a Turkish military cargo plane that went down near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, killing service members aboard.
During the phone call, Kobakhidze offered condolences over the deaths of soldiers in the crash, according to Türkiye's Communications Directorate. Erdogan expressed gratitude for the Georgian leader's condolences and support, the directorate said.
The conversation came hours after a Turkish C-130 military cargo aircraft carrying 20 people crashed while returning from Azerbaijan.
Georgian search and rescue teams located the aircraft wreckage at 5 p.m. local time, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. The wreckage has been secured as Turkish accident investigation teams travel to the site.
The plane went down approximately five kilometers from Georgia's border with Azerbaijan, according to Georgia's Interior Ministry, which has opened an investigation into the incident.
Speaking at an event in Ankara, Erdogan confirmed the crash and indicated there were casualties among those aboard.
"We learned with deep sorrow that our C-130 military aircraft, which was coming to our country from Azerbaijan today, crashed on the Georgia–Azerbaijan border," Erdogan said. "Our efforts to reach the wreckage are continuing in coordination with the relevant authorities. May Allah have mercy on our martyrs."
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev issued a condolence message acknowledging the deaths of Turkish servicemen in the crash.
"The news of the crash of a military cargo aircraft belonging to the Turkish Air Force, which took off from Ganja and went down on Georgian territory, resulting in the deaths of servicemen, has deeply shaken us," Aliyev said. "I extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives."
Georgia's Air Navigation Authority said radar contact was lost minutes after the plane entered Georgian airspace. The aircraft did not send any distress signals, according to the authority.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said authorities are working alongside Georgian officials on rescue operations. The Defense Ministry said the cause of the crash will be determined following examination of the wreckage by the investigation team.
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