TBILISI, Georgia — A Turkish military transport aircraft crashed in eastern Georgia on Tuesday, killing all 20 personnel on board, according to officials from both countries. The incident marks one of the deadliest aviation disasters involving Turkish armed forces in recent years.
The aircraft, identified as a C-130 Hercules, was en route from Ganja, Azerbaijan, to Turkey when it disappeared from radar over the Sighnaghi municipality, near Georgia’s border with Azerbaijan. Georgian emergency services responded to the crash site, where 18 bodies were initially recovered. The remaining two were located hours later.
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler confirmed the fatalities in a statement, calling the victims “our heroic comrades-in-arms.” He added that the ministry had dispatched an investigative team to work alongside Georgian authorities to determine the cause of the crash.
No distress signal was reported prior to the aircraft’s disappearance, and eyewitnesses described seeing the plane trailing smoke before spiraling downward. Local media aired footage of the wreckage strewn across a remote hillside.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a public tribute, expressing “deep sorrow” and extending condolences to the families of the fallen. “These brave men served our nation with honor,” he said. “Their sacrifice will not be forgotten.”
Flags were lowered at military installations across Turkey, and a national day of mourning was declared for Wednesday. The Turkish Armed Forces released the names of the deceased, all of whom were members of the logistics and air transport divisions.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili also extended sympathies, stating that his government would “do everything necessary to support our Turkish partners during this difficult time.” He pledged full cooperation in the joint investigation and praised the swift response of local emergency teams.
Tributes poured in from across the region. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent a message of condolence, calling the victims “brothers in arms” and emphasizing the close military ties between the nations. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also expressed sympathy, stating, “We stand with our ally Turkey in this moment of loss.”
Social media platforms were flooded with messages from Turkish citizens, many of whom shared photos of the fallen and called for greater transparency in military operations. “These men gave everything. We owe them more than silence,” one user wrote.
Military veterans and analysts voiced concern over the aging fleet of transport aircraft and urged the government to accelerate modernization efforts. “This tragedy must lead to reform,” said retired Air Force Colonel Mehmet Yılmaz. “We cannot afford to lose lives to preventable failures.”
Tuesday’s tragedy is the most severe loss of Turkish military personnel since 2020, when 33 soldiers were killed in an airstrike in Syria. It also comes amid heightened regional cooperation between Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, particularly in defense and logistics.
As investigators comb through flight data and wreckage, officials have yet to release preliminary findings. The crash site remains cordoned off, with recovery and forensic teams continuing their work.
The loss has cast a shadow over Turkey’s military operations and raised broader questions about the risks faced by personnel in routine transport missions. For many, the tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that persist even far from the battlefield.
