Credited from: AFRICANEWS
A Turkish C-130 military cargo plane, with 20 personnel on board, crashed in Georgia on November 11 after taking off from Ganja, Azerbaijan, and was en route to Turkey. All on board are confirmed dead, according to Turkey’s Defense Minister Yasar Guler, who referred to the deceased as “martyrs” in a social media post. This incident marks Turkey's deadliest military accident since 2020, as noted by multiple sources, including Indiatimes and Al Jazeera.
Initial reports indicate that communications with the plane were lost approximately 27 minutes after it departed Azerbaijan, with no distress signal issued before the crash. Eyewitness accounts and video footage show the aircraft spiraling downwards before crashing, producing a significant amount of debris across the impact site, as reported by South China Morning Post and Reuters.
Emergency teams quickly mobilized to the crash site in Sighnaghi municipality, where search efforts continue, despite the unfortunate confirmation of all fatalities. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed profound sorrow over the incident, describing it as a tragic loss. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and NATO representatives have also offered their condolences, highlighting the regional solidarity and support during this difficult time, according to information from Africanews and Anadolu Agency.
An investigation into the causes of the crash is underway, with both Turkish and Georgian authorities collaborating closely. The black box of the aircraft has been recovered, and thorough examinations are expected to commence as officials seek to elucidate the circumstances leading to this tragedy, as stated by Anadolu Agency and Indiatimes.