Turkish Military Cargo Plane Crashes in Georgia; Search and Rescue Operations Underway
Ankara, The Gulf Observer: A Turkish Air Force C-130 military cargo aircraft en route from Azerbaijan to Türkiye has crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed on Tuesday.
“We are deeply saddened to learn that one of our C-130 military aircraft, en route from Azerbaijan to our country, has crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border,” President Erdoğan said during an event held in Ankara. “Our search and rescue operations are continuing in coordination with national authorities. May God have mercy on our martyrs.”
According to the Turkish Ministry of National Defense, the aircraft was carrying 20 people, including the flight crew, when contact was lost. The ministry announced that search and rescue efforts are underway in coordination with Georgian authorities, adding on social media platform X: “Search and rescue operations have begun in coordination with Georgian authorities.”
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya also expressed his deep sorrow over the tragic incident, stating on Turkish social media platform NSosyal that efforts to locate the aircraft and its crew are continuing. He said he had spoken with his Georgian counterpart, Gela Geladze, who is personally traveling to the crash site.
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran reiterated that search and rescue teams were “promptly” mobilized following the crash. He urged the public to rely solely on verified updates from official sources and to refrain from sharing unverified information.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation regarding the number of casualties or survivors. Authorities from both Türkiye and Georgia remain engaged in joint rescue operations near the crash site.
