A Turkish C-130 military cargo plane crashed overnight in the nation of Georgia, killing all 20 personnel on board, in the deadliest military incident for the NATO member since 2020.
The aircraft had taken off from Azerbaijan and was carrying Turkish military personnel when it went down. According to reports, the plane lost contact with authorities after entering Georgian airspace and did not issue a distress signal.
In a statement on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed the tragic outcome and that the aircraft’s flight recorder had been located.
“We have recovered the remains of 19 of our martyrs. Our search for the final remains continues,” President Erdoğan said, expressing the nation’s grief. He added that a 46-person accident investigation team had been dispatched to the region and that inspections of the “black box” have already begun.
President Erdoğan also acknowledged the cooperation of the governments of Georgia and Azerbaijan in the aftermath of the crash, stating, “The Georgian authorities are showing the highest level of necessary facilitation and cooperation in this process. Our Azerbaijani brothers are likewise providing all kinds of necessary support and contributions.”
The cause of the crash remains unknown and is under active investigation by Turkish authorities.