Turkish military cargo plane crashes near Azerbaijan-Georgia border: Defense ministry

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Turkish military cargo aircraft crashed near the Azerbaijan-Georgia border, the Turkish defense ministry announced on Tuesday.

The aircraft, C130, "was taking off from Azerbaijan" to Turkey, said the ministry in a post on X, adding that "search and rescue operations have begun in coordination with the authorities of Azerbaijan and Georgia."

Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish communications directorate, confirmed the incident that occurred on Tuesday afternoon, stating that "search and rescue operations have been promptly initiated.

No details have been released so far about the number or condition of the crew members on board.

"For the accurate information of the public, it is of utmost importance to consider only the statements of our official institutions and to refrain from sharing unverified information," Duran added.

Videos and images circulating on social media purportedly show the moment the aircraft lost control and crashed near the Azerbaijan-Georgia border.

Turkey and Azerbaijan share a close alliance often described as “one nation, two states,” built on deep cultural and linguistic ties.

During Azerbaijan’s conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020, Turkey provided strong political and military support, with Turkish drones playing a key role in Baku’s victory.

[Source: Rûdaw English]