Overview
- The Hercules transport departed Ganja, Azerbaijan, as Turkish Air Force flight TUAF543 and crashed shortly after crossing into Georgia.
- Georgia’s Interior Ministry located the crash in the Sighnaghi region about five kilometers past the border and opened a formal inquiry.
- Turkey reported 20 military personnel dead and said search-and-rescue and investigative efforts are coordinated with Georgian and Azerbaijani authorities.
- Flight-tracking data identified the aircraft as C-130E registration 68-1609, and circulating videos appear to show a steep descent trailing white smoke.
- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered condolences and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev conveyed support, while Turkish authorities asked media not to publish images from the site.