Georgian Interior Minister: 18 dead, 2 missing after Turkish aircraft accident

Georgian Interior Minister Geka Geladze on Wednesday said that a Turkish military plane crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, killing 18 of the 20 people on board, while search efforts continued for the remaining two.

He expressed condolences to the Turkish people and the families of the victims, noting that the aircraft had taken off from Azerbaijan, crossed Georgian airspace, and crashed about five kilometers inside Georgia.

“I would like to express my sorrow and offer my condolences to the families of the victims and to the Turkish people. As you know, yesterday, at around 2:00 p.m., a Turkish military aircraft took off from Azerbaijani territory, crossed into Georgian airspace, and crashed approximately five kilometers beyond the border. There were 20 crew members on board. Eighteen of them have been found and, unfortunately, are deceased. Search operations for the remaining two continue”, he said.

“I am in constant contact and coordination with the Turkish Minister of the Interior. We have established an international investigative team that includes Turkish colleagues who spent the entire night at the crash site, participating in the investigative activities. As you know, this was a military aircraft, and together with the Turkish side, we will provide information about the details gradually”, Geladze noted.

According to the Turkish Ministry of Defense, 20 Turkish servicemen were killed in the crash of a C-130 military transport aircraft belonging to the Turkish Air Force in Georgia.

The military aircraft crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border on November 11.

Imedi TV obtained video footage showing the aftermath of the crash.