A Turkish Air Force C-130 military transport plane carrying at least 20 personnel crashed in Georgia on Tuesday after departing from Azerbaijan, officials said. The number of casualties and the cause of the crash remain unclear.
Footage from the crash site near Georgia’s border with Azerbaijan showed the aircraft’s wreckage scattered across a grassy hillside, with parts of the fuselage engulfed in flames and thick smoke billowing into the sky. Videos circulating online appeared to capture the plane spiraling before impact, though Reuters could not verify the footage.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan interrupted a speech in Ankara to express condolences for what he called “our martyrs,” a term he uses for fallen service members. Neither Erdoğan nor the Defence Ministry disclosed the cause of the crash or confirmed fatalities.
Turkey’s Defence Ministry said 20 Turkish personnel, including the flight crew, were on board. Local media reported that both Turkish and Azerbaijani servicemen may have been among the passengers, but provided no further details.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said he had spoken with Erdoğan following “the tragic loss of servicemen,” according to a government statement.
Rescue teams from Turkey and Georgia were deployed to the crash site in Georgia’s Kakheti region. Georgia’s Interior Ministry said the incident is being investigated under a criminal code relating to air transport and loss of life.
The U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, expressed condolences on X, saying the United States “stands in solidarity with our Turkish allies.”
Lockheed Martin, the U.S. manufacturer of the C-130 Hercules, extended sympathies to Turkey’s Air Force and citizens. “We are committed to supporting our customer as they investigate,” a company spokesperson said.
The C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop transport aircraft widely used for cargo, troop, and equipment missions. Its rugged design allows it to take off and land on short or unpaved runways, making it one of the world’s most relied-upon tactical airlifters.
