Turkey’s defense ministry on Wednesday confirmed that all 20 troops aboard a C-130 military transport aircraft were killed when it went down in eastern Georgia near the Azerbaijani border on Tuesday. Despite the confirmation, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech that nineteen bodies have been recovered so far, with searches underway for one more.
The crash marks Turkey’s deadliest military incident since 2020. The aircraft had departed from Azerbaijan for Turkey when it crashed on Tuesday, scattering wreckage across a grassy hillside in Georgia’s Sighnaghi municipality.
Erdogan said during a televised address that the aircraft’s flight recorder has been located.
“Our plane’s black box has been found, and inspections have begun,” Erdogan said. “We have recovered the remains of 19 of our martyrs. Our search for the remains of the last martyr continues.”
Joint investigation teams from Turkey and Georgia have begun on-site analysis, with coordination support from Azerbaijani authorities. Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the C-130 military cargo aircraft, said it is cooperating with investigators.
Early indications point to an accident, although authorities have not issued any judgements at this time. Video making the rounds on social media appeared to show the plane breaking apart midair before spiraling toward the ground, leaving a trail of white smoke or, perhaps, fuel.
Azerbaycan medyasında çıkan haberlere göre Gürcistan-Azerbaycan sınırında Türk Silahlı Kuvvetlerine ait askeri kargo uçağının düştüğü idda ediliyor. pic.twitter.com/DcqQj7MzkO
— Derin Kuvvetler (@Derinkuvvet) November 11, 2025
Former U.S. Air Force C-130 specialist Jarrod Phillips told Reuters the footage “appears to show the tail section separating in-flight and fuel streaming from the wingtip valves, suggesting the crew may have been dumping fuel for an emergency landing.”
The aircraft was a 57 year old C-130E that was first used by the Royal Saudi Air Force before it entered Turkish service in 2010. The incident follows Ankara’s recent deal to acquire and modernize 12 C-130J aircraft in Britain as part of a broader fleet renewal effort, Reuters reported.
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