Twenty soldiers have been confirmed dead after a Turkish military cargo plane crashed after take-off from Azerbaijan, Ankara's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.
The aircraft went down on Tuesday with 20 on board near the border between Azerbaijan and Georgia. Footage aired by Turkish media outlets appeared to show the plane spiralling out of control and leaving a trail of white smoke.
Georgian authorities had been combing the crash site on Tuesday night. The Georgian Interior Ministry said the aircraft crashed in the country's Sighnaghi municipality. An investigation has begun.
Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency quoted the Georgian aviation authority as saying contact with the plane was lost a few minutes after it entered Georgia's airspace. The plane had not issued a distress call, it said.
“Our heroic comrades-in-arms were martyred,” Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler posted on X, together with photos of the military personnel killed.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was “deeply saddened” by the crash and expressed his condolences.
“God willing we will overcome this accident with the least amount of setbacks possible,” he said.
The C-130 Hercules was on its way back to Turkey when it crashed, the Turkish Defence Ministry said on X. The C-130 model is widely used by Turkey’s armed forces for transporting personnel and handling logistical operations.
It is a cargo, troop and equipment carrier aircraft that is described as a four-engine turboprop able to make use of unprepared runways for take-off and landing.
Its versatile air frame has also enabled it to be used for other purposes, including as a gunship and for airborne assault and reconnaissance operations. It is now viewed as one of the main tactical airlifters for many militaries.
US firm Lockheed Martin, which makes the plane, expressed its condolences and said it was committed to helping Turkey in any way during the investigation.
