All 20 people on board the Turkish military transport aircraft, a C-130, that crashed in Georgia have been killed, according to government sources in Turkey.
The aircraft had taken off from Azerbaijan and was en route to Turkey when it went down in a mountainous area near the Georgia–Azerbaijan border, according to an official statement from the Turkish Ministry of Defense.
Footage broadcast by local media captured the moment the aircraft fell, leaving a trail of white smoke behind it.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he was “deeply saddened” and expressed his condolences to the families of those killed in the crash.
In a phone call with his Turkish counterpart, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also offered his condolences.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the loss of soldiers in the crash of a Turkish Air Force military transport aircraft, which took off and crashed on Georgian territory,” Aliyev said in his message.
“In this moment of sorrow, I share your pain and, on behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my heartfelt condolences to you, to the families and loved ones of the victims, and to the brotherly people of Turkey,” he added.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry reported that radar contact with the aircraft was lost just minutes after it entered Georgian airspace, and no distress signal was sent.
Authorities from all three countries have launched a joint search and rescue operation.
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