Tragic Crash of Turkish Military Cargo Plane Leaves Many Unaccounted

Wed Nov 12 2025 11:57:41 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A Turkish military cargo plane carrying at least 20 individuals has crashed near the Azerbaijan-Georgia border, prompting search and rescue operations while officials express condolences.

A Turkish military cargo plane, a C-130, crashed near the Azerbaijan-Georgia border with at least 20 people aboard. The Turkish defense ministry has confirmed the incident and search efforts are underway. While the exact number of casualties remains unverified, there have been expressions of sorrow from Turkish President Erdogan and Azerbaijan's President Aliyev. Images of wreckage and emergency services at the site have surfaced as investigations into the cause of the crash continue.

A Turkish military cargo plane carrying at least 20 people has crashed near the Azerbaijan-Georgia border, Turkey's defense ministry has reported.

Officials have yet to confirm the number of casualties, although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extended condolences to the families of 'our martyrs.'

Search and rescue operations are currently underway at the scene, which included flight crew among those onboard.

The defense ministry indicated the C-130 cargo aircraft was traveling from Azerbaijan to Turkey.

Images from the scene reveal emergency services on-site and what appears to be wreckage from the aircraft.

According to BBC Turkish, the aircraft lost radar contact without issuing a distress signal.

The Geogrian interior ministry added that the plane went down near Sighnaghi, approximately 5km from Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev expressed his sorrow in a message to Erdogan regarding the tragic loss of military personnel, extending condolences to the Turkish people. Furthermore, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack conveyed his sadness over the crash, expressing heartfelt condolences to the families of the fallen and the Turkish Armed Forces.

The C-130 aircraft is a US-made transport plane widely utilized by air forces globally.