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A forensic report by Türkiye's Gendarmerie General Command found no evidence of external attack, explosives, or sabotage in the wreckage of a Turkish military C-130 cargo aircraft.
The aircraft crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border on Nov. 11, 2025, killing all 20 personnel on board, the Ankara Chief Prosecutor's Office announced on Friday.
The Gendarmerie's criminal report, now part of the investigation file, stated that no shrapnel marks from any type of munition, no damage consistent with an ammunition strike, no traces of improvised explosive devices or explosive materials, and no petroleum-based fire accelerants were found on or around the wreckage.
An "element analysis" conducted on the wreckage also revealed no suspicious chemical substances, the report said.
While an external attack has been ruled out, the reason the aircraft went down remains under investigation. The Air Force Command's Evaluation and Inspection Directorate is continuing its examination.
Technical work is being conducted simultaneously in Türkiye and Georgia, with experts from TUBITAK, TAI, MKE and the Air Force Command's specialist units analyzing findings and data. A preliminary crash investigation report will be produced first, followed by a final report, both conducted to international standards, officials said.
The investigation has operated in full cooperation with Georgia under bilateral agreements, ensuring evidence was brought to Türkiye without compromise.
The remains of the 20 service members were transported from Tbilisi to Ankara's Murted Air Base aboard a Turkish A400M military transport aircraft. Forensic examinations by the Forensic Medicine Institute have been completed and added to the file.
Digital materials and mobile phones belonging to the deceased personnel are also still being examined.
The Ministry of National Defense recently addressed claims made by an unnamed political party leader about the crash at its weekly press briefing on Thursday, calling them "open disinformation aimed at misleading the public."
"Statements targeting our Turkish Armed Forces, made with political motives, contain baseless allegations aimed at undermining them in the eyes of the public, and deliberately distort official statements," the ministry said.
"The grievous and baseless statements, in which even the number of our martyrs was misrepresented, are the product of a malicious approach," the ministry noted.
The ministry said a criminal complaint has been filed and legal proceedings initiated. It called on the public not to give credence to "baseless claims and accusations that are not supported by concrete evidence, or to speculative and manipulative statements and interpretations."
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The C-130 cargo aircraft, tail number 68-1609, belonging to the Air Force Command, departed Azerbaijan on Nov. 11 carrying a maintenance crew that had supported F-16 flights conducted as part of Azerbaijan's Nov. 8 Victory Day celebrations.
The aircraft crashed in Georgia's Kakheti region near the Azerbaijan border, killing all 20 personnel, including the flight crew.
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