A C-130

Air tragedy on the Azerbaijan-Georgia border: 20 victims on Turkish military plane

Erdogan expresses condolences for the victims. Investigation launched

11 November 2025

Un aereo militare cargo turco C130, decollato dall'Azerbaigian, si è schiantato al confine con la Georgia mentre era diretto in Turchia, 11 novembre 2025. Lo ha affermato il ministero della Difesa di Ankara, aggiungendo che sono in corso operazioni di salvataggio in coordinamento con le autorità dell'Azerbaigian e della Georgia.

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Twenty people, including crew members, were on board the Turkish C-130 military cargo plane, which took off from Azerbaijan and crashed on the border with Georgia on its way to Turkey. This was stated by the Defence Ministry in Ankara, adding that rescue operations are underway in coordination with the Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities.

At the moment, the authorities in Turkey and Georgia have reported no casualties. The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reported that there were casualties but did not provide details. Erdogan said he was 'deeply saddened' by the incident and expressed his condolences for the 'martyrs'.

C-130 military transport aircraft are widely used by the Turkish armed forces for personnel transport and logistics operations. Turkey and Azerbaijan maintain close military cooperation.

Georgia: investigation launched into crashed cargo plane

The Turkish military cargo plane with 20 people on board that crashed crashed in the municipality of Sighnaghi, Georgia, near the border with Azerbaijan. This was reported by the Interior Ministry of Georgia, adding that an investigation has been launched. Video footage broadcast by Turkish news shows the plane plunging down leaving a trail of white smoke.

The Turkish state agency Anadolu quoted the Georgian aviation authority as saying that contact with the plane was lost a few minutes after it entered Georgian airspace. The plane, it said, had not issued a distress call. According to private broadcaster NTV, the Turkish military has deployed a drone to support the rescue operation, while a team of investigators is preparing to leave for Georgia.

Ankara: 'Only official information on the plane crash to be released'

The Turkish State Radio and Television Authority (Rtuk) has asked the country's media to publish only information taken from 'official' sources regarding the case of the Turkish C130 military cargo plane with 20 people on board, which took off from Azerbaijan and crashed on the border with Georgia on its way to Turkey. "We firmly remind all our media organisations that one should not rely on information and statements from sources other than official ones, only statements from authorised bodies should be taken into consideration," Rturk chairman Mehmet Danis was quoted as saying by Cumhuriyet, adding that "it is crucial that pictures of the crash scene and the crash site are not shared". While the Turkish media did not release much information about the incident, some users on social networks claimed that the plane crash was not an accident but sabotage. "Planes do not break up and crash without interference from inside or outside. Either there is something exploding inside (maybe it was carrying ammunition) or it was shot down,' Turkish academic Deniz Ulke Kaynak wrote on X, while numerous users supported similar theories in their posts.

Tajani: solidarity with Turkey over military plane crash

"I learn with sorrow of the crash of a Turkish C130 military cargo plane on Georgian territory while en route from Azerbaijan to Turkey. I express my solidarity with the Turkish people, the authorities, the armed forces and all the rescuers who are intervening on the spot. My condolences to the families of the victims'. This was written by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in a post on X in which he tagged his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.