A Turkish military cargo plane crashed in Georgia on Tuesday, killing all 20 service members on board, the Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed. The C-130 aircraft, which had departed from Azerbaijan and was returning to Turkey, went down in Georgia’s Sighnaghi municipality, near the border with Azerbaijan. Georgian authorities said an investigation has been launched and rescue operations were immediately coordinated with Azerbaijani and Turkish teams.

Video footage aired by local outlets showed the C-130 spiraling toward the ground, trailing white smoke before impact. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was informed of the crash during a speech in Ankara, paused to express his condolences, referring to the victims as “our martyrs” and offering prayers for the deceased. “May God rest their souls. We will overcome this tragedy together,” Erdogan said.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev extended his condolences to Erdogan, describing the event as a tragic loss for the Turkish Armed Forces. “We were deeply saddened by the news of the loss of servicemen in the crash of a Turkish Air Force cargo plane that took off from Ganja and crashed in Georgian territory,” Aliyev said. “On behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan, I express heartfelt condolences to you, to the families and loved ones of the deceased, and to the brotherly people of Türkiye.”

The Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed that all those on board were Turkish military personnel, including the flight crew, and said that coordination with Georgian authorities was ongoing. Local media initially reported that Azeri personnel might also have been among the passengers, but this was not confirmed.

The C-130E Hercules, produced by the U.S. company Lockheed Martin, is one of the most widely used tactical airlifters in the world. The four-engine turboprop aircraft is capable of transporting troops, equipment, and supplies and can operate on unprepared runways. It has also been adapted for missions such as reconnaissance, airborne assault, and even as a gunship.

Turkey’s armed forces have long relied on the C-130 fleet for logistics and personnel transport. The cause of the crash remains unknown, with both Turkish and Georgian investigators examining the site for evidence.