Turkey’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed that all 20 people on board a military transport aircraft that crashed in Georgia on its return from Azerbaijan have died.
The ill-fated C-130 Hercules cargo plane reportedly took off from Ganja Airport in western Azerbaijan on Tuesday afternoon but went down shortly after crossing into Georgian airspace.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Defence Minister Yasar Guler expressed deep sorrow over the loss, describing the victims as “heroic comrades-in-arms.”
“Our heroic comrades-in-arms were martyred on November 11, 2025, due to the crash of our C-130 military cargo aircraft, which had taken off from Azerbaijan to return to Turkey,” Guler said in a post on his X account, accompanied by photographs of all 20 victims.
The Defence Ministry said the aircraft was carrying both crew members and other military personnel when the crash occurred.
Although the cause of the crash remains unclear, eyewitness videos published by Azerbaijani media showed the plane spiralling in midair with debris breaking off before it hit the ground.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry confirmed that the plane crashed in the Sighnaghi area, approximately five kilometres from the Georgian-Azerbaijani border.
According to Georgian air traffic control, the plane vanished from radar shortly after entering Georgia’s airspace without sending any distress signal. The emergency services reportedly alerted authorities after locating the wreckage.
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The C-130 Hercules, built by U.S. aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin, is one of the world’s most widely used military transport aircraft, known for its durability and multi-mission capability.
Turkey has yet to announce the findings of an investigation into the cause of the accident.
The tragedy marks one of the deadliest air incidents involving the Turkish military in recent years, prompting condolences from across the country and beyond.
Defence Minister Guler pledged that the government would provide full support to the families of the deceased officers and ensure a thorough investigation into the crash.