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A Turkish C-130 military cargo plane en route from Azerbaijan to Türkiye crashed Tuesday near the Georgia–Azerbaijan border, the Turkish Defense Ministry said.
In a statement posted on its official X account, the ministry said: “One of our C-130 military cargo planes, which takes off from Azerbaijan to come to our country, crashes on the Georgia–Azerbaijan border. Search and rescue operations begin in coordination with Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities.”
The ministry said joint search and rescue efforts were underway with Georgian and Azerbaijani officials, but provided no immediate information about how many people were on board or possible casualties.
In a later statement, the Defense Ministry said 20 personnel, including the flight crew, were on board the crashed cargo plane and that search and rescue operations are ongoing.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at an event in Ankara, confirmed the crash and said efforts to reach the wreckage were ongoing.
“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," he added.
His reference to “martyrs” suggested there may be fatalities, though no official confirmation had been released as of Tuesday evening.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also issued a condolence message, saying the crash had resulted in the deaths of Turkish servicemen.
“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. In this difficult moment, I share your sorrow in connection with this tragic incident," he added.
Meanwhile in a statement, Georgia's Interior Ministry confirmed the crash, saying it went down "about five kilometres from Georgia's state border" with Azerbaijan.
It also said an investigation had been opened.
Additionally, a statement from the Georgian Air Navigation Authority said radar contact was lost a few minutes after the plane entered Georgian airspace.
The statement noted that the aircraft did not send any distress signals.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said authorities are closely monitoring search and rescue operations for a military cargo plane that crashed on the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, offering condolences for those who died in the incident.
Fidan said in a post on his social media account that Turkey is working alongside Georgian authorities on the rescue efforts. "We are closely following the search and rescue operations regarding our military cargo plane that crashed on its way back to our country from Azerbaijan, together with the Georgian authorities," Fidan said. "I pray for Allah's mercy for our martyrs and patience for their families and relatives. My condolences to our noble nation."
Turkish defense officials say rescue teams have reached the wreckage of the military cargo plane that crashed on the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, with investigators now working to determine the cause of the incident.
Georgian search and rescue teams located the aircraft wreckage at 5 p.m. local time, according to a statement from the Ministry of National Defense. The wreckage has been secured as Turkish accident investigation teams make their way to the site. Officials said the cause of the crash will be determined following a detailed examination of the wreckage by the specialized investigation team. The ministry provided no immediate information about casualties or the condition of the 20 personnel and flight crew who were aboard the C-130 type cargo plane when it went down while returning from Azerbaijan.
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