Web Desk; Turkish C-130 military cargo aircraft carrying at least 20 personnel crashed in Georgia on Tuesday after departing from Azerbaijan. The exact number of casualties and the cause of the crash remain unclear.
Initial footage from the crash site near the Azerbaijan-Georgia border showed wreckage scattered across a grassy area, with parts of the aircraft still burning and smoke rising into the sky. Emergency teams and helicopters were seen responding to the scene.
Video circulating on social media appeared to capture the plane spiraling toward the ground before bursting into flames, though Reuters has not independently verified the footage.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paused a speech in Ankara to express condolences for “our martyrs,” a term he uses for personnel who die while on duty.
Neither Erdogan’s office nor the Defence Ministry disclosed the death toll or the reason for the crash. Local media reported that both Turkish and Azerbaijani personnel were on board.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the tragedy, offering condolences to President Erdogan, the victims’ families, and the Turkish nation. “Saddened by the tragic crash of the Turkish C-130 aircraft in Georgia. Our thoughts and prayers are with our Turkish brothers and sisters,” he wrote on X.
Following a call with Erdogan, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev described the incident as a “tragic loss of servicemen.”
Turkey’s Defence Ministry confirmed that 20 Turkish personnel were aboard the plane but provided no further details. The crash occurred in Georgia’s Kakheti region near the border, and authorities from both countries are coordinating access to the site.
Lockheed Martin, the US manufacturer of the C-130 Hercules aircraft, expressed condolences and pledged full cooperation in the investigation.
The C-130 is widely used for military transport, troop movement, and humanitarian missions due to its ability to operate from short or unprepared runways.
