By: The Trek News Desk
Turkey’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed that all 20 personnel aboard a C-130 military cargo aircraft that crashed in Georgia near the Azerbaijani border have died. The aircraft went down on Tuesday shortly after taking off from the city of Ganja, Azerbaijan.
Defence Minister Pays Tribute to Fallen Soldiers
Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler paid tribute to the deceased soldiers, saying, “Our heroic comrades-in-arms have been martyred.” He shared photographs of the troops in uniform on social media and expressed condolences to their families.
Officials described the crash as Turkey’s deadliest military aviation accident since 2020.
Joint Investigation Underway at the Crash Site
The Defence Ministry announced that a joint investigation team from Turkey and Georgia began examining the wreckage early Wednesday in Sighnaghi, located in Georgia’s Kakheti district, about five kilometres from the Azerbaijani border.
Georgia’s air traffic control agency, Sakaeronavigatsia, reported that the aircraft vanished from radar moments after entering Georgian airspace and issued no distress signal before the crash.
Footage Shows Smoke, Widespread Wreckage
Footage released by Azerbaijani media showed a thick plume of black smoke rising from the crash site, with debris scattered across open ground.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy and extended his condolences to the families of those killed. Leaders of Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, also conveyed their sympathies.
The U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, expressed solidarity with Ankara, while American aerospace company Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the C-130 aircraft, offered its condolences and pledged full cooperation in the investigation.
About the C-130 Hercules
The C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft widely used across the world for carrying troops, equipment, and humanitarian supplies. Known for its versatility and durability, it has been a cornerstone of military logistics for decades.
Source: News Agencies
