Turkey’s Defence Ministry announced on social media platform X that search and rescue operations were underway in coordination with Georgian authorities. The aircraft, carrying 20 people including crew members, went down near Georgia’s Lagodekhi region, about five kilometres from the Azerbaijani border.
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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed deep sorrow over the incident, saying, “We are deeply saddened to learn that one of our C-130 aircraft has crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border. May God have mercy on our martyrs.”
Georgia’s Interior Ministry also confirmed the crash, while Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said he had spoken with his Georgian counterpart, Gela Geladze, who was heading to the scene. Turkish Communications Director Burhanettin Duran urged the public to rely only on official statements to avoid misinformation.