Overview
- The Turkish defense ministry said the C-130 went down after departing Azerbaijan for Türkiye near Georgia’s Rustavi region close to the border.
- Search-and-rescue teams are operating in coordination with Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities, and officials have not confirmed how many people were on board.
- Video carried by local outlets shows the aircraft spiraling with a smoke trail and appearing to break apart before impact, but the cause remains undetermined.
- Georgia’s Interior Ministry opened a criminal investigation and said updates would be provided in stages.
- President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan offered condolences and said he hoped casualties would be minimal, as no official casualty figures have been released.