Turkish Military Plane Crashes in Georgia, All 20 on Board Killed

A Turkish Air Force C-130 transport aircraft crashed in eastern Georgia, a few kilometers from the Azerbaijani border near the city of Sighnaghi. Turkish officials confirmed that all 20 people aboard the aircraft were killed. The plane was performing a scheduled transport mission when air traffic controllers lost contact with it on Thursday morning. According to local residents, a powerful explosion was heard shortly afterward, followed by a large plume of smoke rising from the nearby mountains.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense reported that among the dead were pilot Gökhan Korkmaz and 19 officers and sergeants. In an official statement, the ministry said, “Our heroes gave their lives in the line of duty.” President of Turkey expressed condolences to the families of the victims and promised full state support.

Turkey has dispatched an investigative team to Georgia to participate in determining the cause of the crash. Georgian authorities said they would provide “full assistance” and establish a joint commission with the Turkish side to investigate the incident.

The crash is one of the deadliest aviation accidents involving the Turkish Air Force in recent years. Investigators are analyzing radar data and crew communications to determine whether the tragedy was caused by weather conditions, technical malfunction, or pilot error.