A Turkish military cargo plane carrying 20 personnel crashed on Tuesday night near the Azerbaijan–Georgia border, killing everyone on board in what authorities have described as one of the country’s worst aviation tragedies in recent years.
According to official reports from both Ankara and Tbilisi, the C-130 Hercules aircraft took off from Ganja airport in western Azerbaijan and was en route to Turkey when it went down shortly after crossing into Georgian airspace.
The Georgian Interior Ministry confirmed that the crash occurred in the Sighnaghi area of Kakheti, roughly five kilometres inside Georgia’s border. Eyewitnesses said the aircraft appeared to lose control mid-flight, spiralling before exploding into flames upon impact.
Turkey’s Defence Minister, Yasar Guler, confirmed the deaths of all onboard, describing them as heroes who died in the line of duty. “Our heroic comrades-in-arms were martyred on 11 November 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 statement posted on his X handle, alongside photos of the fallen soldiers.
While the cause of the crash is yet to be determined, videos released by Azerbaijani media showed the aircraft spinning in the air with pieces of debris breaking off before impact. Georgian aviation authorities said the plane disappeared from radar “without transmitting a distress signal,” and emergency teams were alerted moments later by nearby residents who reported a loud explosion.
Both Turkish and Georgian officials have launched a joint investigation into the incident, and experts from Lockheed Martin—the manufacturer of the C-130 aircraft—are expected to assist.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed deep sorrow over the loss, calling it “a painful tragedy for the Turkish nation and its armed forces.” He extended condolences to the families of the deceased and promised that a full inquiry would be conducted to determine the cause.
Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev, also offered his condolences, saying, “The people of Azerbaijan stand with our Turkish brothers in this difficult time.”
The C-130 Hercules is a widely used American-built transport aircraft known for its reliability in military and humanitarian missions. Tuesday’s crash marks Turkey’s deadliest military aviation disaster since 2020.
Rescue workers and military officials continued to comb through the wreckage site as of Wednesday evening, while flags were lowered to half-mast across Turkish military bases in honour of the victims.
