Turkey reported on Wednesday that 20 soldiers perished in a tragic military plane crash in Georgia the day before, marking the country’s deadliest military incident since 2020. The C-130 cargo aircraft departed from Azerbaijan bound for Turkey but tragically crashed in Georgia, leaving wreckage scattered across a grassy area. While the cause of the crash remains unknown, Turkish and Georgian authorities commenced investigations at the crash site located in Georgia’s Kakheti district early on Wednesday.
Footage from the crash site near the Azerbaijan border depicted ambulances, firetrucks, and military vehicles amidst the charred fuselage, with search-and-rescue teams scouring the area. Social media videos, though unverified, captured the plane disintegrating mid-air before plummeting to the ground in flames.
The Turkish Defence Ministry released the names of the 20 soldiers who lost their lives in the tragic incident. The Georgian aviation authority, as reported by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, stated that contact with the plane was lost shortly after it entered Georgian airspace, with no distress signal issued. The C-130 military cargo planes, crucial for Turkey’s armed forces in personnel transport and logistical operations, are widely utilized.
Following the crash, leaders from Azerbaijan, Georgia, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed their condolences. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, also extended solidarity to Turkey in the aftermath of the tragedy. Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler engaged with his Georgian and Azerbaijani counterparts, as well as Azerbaijan’s chief of staff, to coordinate search and rescue efforts.
Lockheed Martin, the U.S. manufacturer of the C-130 Hercules aircraft, conveyed condolences and pledged support to Turkey during the investigation. The C-130 Hercules, renowned for its versatility and capability to operate from unprepared runways, serves various military functions such as troop and cargo transport, gunship operations, and reconnaissance missions.
Analysts have highlighted concerns over the aging Turkish C-130 fleet, noting that the footage suggests the aircraft disintegrated mid-flight. Despite its reliability, the old age of Turkey’s C-130 aircraft fleet necessitates renewal. The ill-fated plane that crashed was identified as a 57-year-old aircraft that entered service with the Turkish Air Force in 2010.