Turkish C-130 Crashes Near Georgia–Azerbaijan Border With 20 Aboard

Overview

• The aircraft departed Azerbaijan for Turkey and crashed near Sighnaghi in Georgia’s Kakheti region shortly after entering Georgian airspace.
• Turkey’s defense ministry reported 20 people on board as Turkish, Georgian and Azerbaijani teams carry out search and rescue operations.
• Widely circulated video shows the C-130 breaking up in flight and spiraling before impact, and Georgia’s aviation authority said no emergency signal was received.
• Authorities have not confirmed a casualty toll or cause, with Georgia opening an air-transport investigation and Lockheed Martin pledging support to the probe.
• President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered condolences and referred to the victims as martyrs, while Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev and the U.S. ambassador in Ankara also extended sympathies.