A Turkish military C-130 cargo plane with at least 20 personnel on board crashed in Georgia on Tuesday, near the border with Azerbaijan, Turkiye’s Defence Ministry confirmed. The incident has resulted in multiple fatalities, according to Turkiye and Azerbaijan authorities.

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Crash Details

The aircraft, a US-made C-130 Hercules, had departed from Ganja, Azerbaijan, en route back to Turkiye when it went down in Sighnaghi municipality, Kakheti region, approximately 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the Georgian-Azerbaijani border.

Local media and Azerbaijani news outlets released dramatic footage showing a large plume of black smoke rising from the crash site, with debris scattered across the area.

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Casualties and Response

Turkiye’s Defence Ministry confirmed that 20 Turkish personnel, including flight crew, were aboard the plane. While the presence of Azerbaijani personnel was reported by local media, the exact number of casualties remains unconfirmed.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed deep sorrow over the crash, while Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev conveyed condolences and described the loss of life as a “deep shock.”

Turkiye’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said his Georgian counterpart, Gela Geladze, arrived at the site around 5pm local time (14:00 GMT) to coordinate search and rescue operations, which remain ongoing.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our soldiers in this accident on Georgian soil,” Erdogan said in a statement.

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Investigation and Air Traffic Details

The Sakaeronavigatsia air traffic control service in Georgia reported that the plane disappeared from radar shortly after entering Georgian airspace and did not issue a distress signal before the crash.

Investigators from Turkiye and Georgia are on site, assessing the wreckage and collecting evidence to determine the cause of the accident.

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International Reactions

Global leaders and officials have expressed condolences and solidarity:

• US Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack said the United States “stands in solidarity with our Turkish allies” and supports the families of the victims.
• Azerbaijani authorities have offered support in rescue operations and are closely monitoring the investigation.

The C-130 Hercules is widely used worldwide by military forces to transport personnel, cargo, and equipment, and is known for its versatility in varied terrains and adverse weather conditions.