Turkish C-130 cargo plane with 20 military personnel aboard crashes in Georgia; casualties feared

A Turkish C-130 military cargo plane carrying 20 military personnel on board crashed in Georgia after taking off from Azerbaijan on Tuesday, according to Turkish and Georgian authorities.

The accident, which occurred when the plane was going back to Turkey, prompted Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to offer his condolences to “our martyrs” as search and rescue crews rushed to the spot. However, there was no word on the number of casualties at the time of writing this story.

A viral video, aired on Turkish news outlets, showed the plane spiralling down and leaving a trail of white smoke before it crashed on a mountain, triggering plumes of thick black smoke. Without citing numbers, local media reported that there were both Turkish and Azeri personnel on board.

While finishing a speech in Ankara, Erdogan was handed a note by his aides, after which he said he was saddened to hear about the plane’s crash.

“God willing, we will overcome this crash with minimum hardships. May God rest the soul of our martyrs, and let us be with them through our prayers,” he said.

Erdogan’s office did not provide the number of casualties or what caused the crash.

Turkey’s Defence Ministry announced the crash near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border and said it was coordinating with Georgian authorities to reach the site.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said he spoke to his Georgian counterpart over the phone, adding that the latter was on his way to the crash site.

A search and rescue operation was launched in coordination with Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities, Ankara said.

According to the Georgian Interior Ministry, the aircraft crashed in Georgia’s Sighnaghi municipality near the Azerbaijani border, adding that an investigation was launched.

The Turkish armed forces widely use C-130 military cargo planes for transporting personnel and handling logistical operations. Turkey and Azerbaijan maintain close military cooperation.

– Ends

(with inputs from agencies)