Turkish military plane with 20 on board crashes in Georgia

A Turkish military cargo plane with 20 people on board crashed in Georgia near the border with Azerbaijan on Tuesday, Turkish and Georgian authorities said, but they gave no immediate word on casualties.

Video footage aired on Turkish news outlets appeared to show the aircraft spiralling down and leaving a trail of white smoke.

The C-130 plane had taken off from Azerbaijan and was on its way back to Turkiye when it crashed, Turkiye's defence ministry said on X.

Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signalled there were casualties, without providing details. Turkiye's Ministry of National Defence said there were 20 military personnel on board, including crew members.

A search and rescue operation has been launched in coordination with Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities, the ministry said.

The Georgian Interior Ministry said the aircraft crashed in Georgia's Sighnaghi municipality, close to the Azerbaijani border, adding that an investigation has been launched.

Erdogan said he was “deeply saddened” by the crash and expressed his condolences for the “martyrs.” “God willing, we will overcome this accident with the least amount of setbacks possible,” Erdogan said.

C-130 military cargo planes are widely used by Turkiye's armed forces for transporting personnel and handling logistical operations.

Turkiye and Azerbaijan maintain close military cooperation.