Turkey on Wednesday confirmed that 20 of its soldiers were killed when a military transport plane crashed in neighbouring Georgia, marking the country’s deadliest military incident since 2020.
The C-130 cargo aircraft, which departed from Azerbaijan en route to Turkey, went down on Tuesday in Georgia’s Kakheti district, scattering debris across a grassy hillside in the Sighnaghu municipality.
Ankara has yet to determine the cause of the crash but said Turkish and Georgian authorities began joint inspections at the site early Wednesday at 03:30 GMT. Footage from the area near the Azerbaijan border showed ambulances, fire trucks, and military vehicles surrounding the charred fuselage, while search-and-rescue teams combed through the wreckage.
Unverified social media videos posted shortly after the crash appeared to show the aircraft breaking apart mid-air before spiralling to the ground in flames. The Turkish Defence Ministry has since released the names of all 20 soldiers who lost their lives.
In a statement, Ankara said it was coordinating closely with both Azerbaijan and Georgia during the investigation. Condolences poured in from several nations and international bodies, including NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Germany, the United States, Russia, and Azerbaijan, all expressing solidarity with Turkey.
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U.S. defence contractor Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the C-130 Hercules, said it was assisting with the probe. The C-130, a four-engine turboprop aircraft widely used by militaries around the world, is known for its versatility in cargo, troop, and equipment transport, as well as airborne and reconnaissance missions.
Preliminary assessments suggest that the crash was accidental. Analysts who reviewed footage said the aircraft appeared to have broken apart in mid-flight. “The footage appears to show the tail section separating in-flight and fuel streaming from the wingtip valves, suggesting the crew may have been dumping fuel for an emergency landing,” said Jarrod Phillips, a former U.S. Air Force C-130 specialist.
Flight data indicated that the aircraft was 57 years old and had been in Turkish service since 2010. Defence experts have long noted the ageing condition of Turkey’s C-130 fleet, which, despite its reliability, is overdue for renewal.
Just last month, the Turkish Defence Ministry announced a deal with Britain to acquire and modernise 12 newer C-130J aircraft.
Tuesday’s crash marks Turkey’s most serious military loss since February 2020, when Russian-backed Syrian forces killed 33 Turkish troops in Idlib, north-west Syria. It is also the country’s deadliest non-combat incident in more than a decade.
