Fatal plane crash in Georgia takes down all 20 Turkish military personnel

Turkey's defense minister confirmed on Wednesday that all 20 individuals on a Turkish military cargo plane that crashed in Georgia lost their lives in the tragic incident. The C-130 aircraft was en route from Ganja, Azerbaijan to Turkey when it went down near Georgia's Sighnaghi municipality, near the Azerbaijani border, on Tuesday. The cause of the crash is under investigation, with a Turkish investigation team currently examining the wreckage in coordination with Georgian authorities. Georgian Interior Minister Gela Geladze reported that 18 victims' remains have been recovered, with efforts ongoing to find the remaining two. The crash details will be revealed gradually, taking into consideration military sensitivities and through collaboration with Turkish authorities. The debris from the plane was strewn across various locations on the plain near hills, as noted by Turkish media outlet NTV. Defense Minister Yasar Guler honored the fallen soldiers in a statement posted on X alongside their pictures. The plane lost contact shortly after entering Georgia's airspace, and no distress call was made. C-130 military cargo planes are commonly used by the Turkish armed forces for transport and logistical purposes. Turkish leaders had attended Victory Day celebrations in Baku, Azerbaijan, before the crash. President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili offered condolences to their Turkish counterparts. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also expressed sympathy and solidarity. There is currently no information on funeral arrangements or the timeline for repatriating the victims' remains to Turkey. The ill-fated aircraft belonged to Turkey's 12th Air Base Command and had previously served in Saudi Arabia before being added to the Turkish military's inventory in 2010.