Türkiye Confirms All 20 Soldiers Killed in Military Plane Crash in Georgia

All 20 personnel aboard a Turkish C-130 military cargo plane died when it crashed in Georgia near the Azerbaijani border, Türkiye’s Defence Ministry confirmed. The aircraft had taken off from Ganja, Azerbaijan, before disappearing from radar and crashing about 5km from the border in Georgia’s Kakheti district. No distress signal was sent. Defence Minister Yasar Guler mourned the victims as “heroic comrades-in-arms.” Turkish and Georgian investigators have begun examining the wreckage. Azerbaijani media released footage showing black smoke and scattered debris. The crash marks Türkiye’s deadliest military aviation disaster since 2020.