Turkish C-130 Military Cargo Plane Crashes In Georgia

Turkish Military Cargo Plane Crashes Near Georgia-Azerbaijan Border, 20 Personnel Onboard

TELAVI/KAKHETI/GEORGIA— A Turkish Air Force C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, carrying a total of 20 personnel (including the flight crew), has crashed in eastern Georgia, near the border with Azerbaijan. The incident, which occurred in the Kakheti region, approximately 5 kilometers from Sighnaghi municipality, has been confirmed by Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence (MSB).

The turboprop cargo plane had departed from Ganja, Azerbaijan, and was en route back to Turkey when it lost contact.

Casualties and Official Statements

While initial reports focused on search and rescue efforts, Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan later confirmed the tragic outcome by stating, “May God have mercy on our martyrs” confirming that there were fatalities among the personnel.

The Ministry of National Defence (MSB) released a statement: “A C130 military cargo plane belonging to our country, which took off from Azerbaijan to return to our country, has crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border. Search and rescue efforts have been initiated in coordination with the Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities.”

Investigation Underway

The exact cause of the crash remains officially unknown and is the subject of an ongoing investigation.

Georgian Air Navigation Service (Sakaeronavigatsiya) reported that the aircraft disappeared from radar shortly after entering Georgian airspace and did not send out any distress signal (mayday) prior to the crash.

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched a probe into the incident under articles related to “violation of air transport safety or operational conditions resulting in death.” Authorities from Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are working in close coordination to access the wreckage and determine the sequence of events leading to the disaster.