Twenty killed as Turkish military plane crashes in Georgia after leaving Azerbaijan

All 20 Turkish military personnel aboard a C-130 cargo plane (reg. 68-01609) were killed when the aircraft crashed in eastern Georgia after departing from Azerbaijan, the Turkish Defence Ministry confirmed on Tuesday.

The plane, a C-130E Hercules, was returning to Turkey when it went down in the Sighnaghi municipality, near Georgia’s border with Azerbaijan. Local authorities have launched an investigation, and search and rescue teams from Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are working jointly at the crash site.

Footage broadcast by local media showed the aircraft spiralling down and trailing white smoke before impact.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy and offered condolences to the families of the victims.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also extended sympathy to Turkey, describing the loss as a tragedy shared by both nations. “In this moment of sorrow, I share your grief and extend heartfelt condolences to you, the families and loved ones of the deceased, and the fraternal people of Türkiye,” Aliyev wrote to Erdo?an.

The C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop tactical transport aircraft, is a key workhorse of the Turkish Air Force, commonly used for troop transport and logistical missions.

Georgian authorities said the cause of the crash remains under investigation.