On Tuesday, November 11, 2025, a C130 cargo plane from the Turkish Air Force crashed in Georgias Signagi region near the Azerbaijan border, killing all 20 service members on board. Türkiyes Defense Ministry confirmed the tragedy in a statement released on November 12.
Georgias Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that the aircraft lost radar contact 27 minutes after entering Georgian airspace, then went down about 5 kilometers from Azerbaijan. Authorities quickly sealed off the crash site, deploying ambulances, firefighting units and search teams.
Video clips shared by Turkish outlets captured the plane spiraling down with white smoke trailing. Türkiye and Georgia launched a joint search-and-rescue operation immediately after the incident.
Late Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to coordinate ongoing rescue efforts and pledged full cooperation until the mission is complete.
The C130 model has been in service with the Turkish Air Force since 1964. To modernize its fleet, Türkiye recently agreed to buy 12 C130J Super Hercules aircraft from the United Kingdom.
This crash is one of the deadliest recent aviation disasters for Türkiye, and both countries have vowed a thorough investigation. ✈️🙏
Reference(s):
Türkiye says military plane crash in Georgia killed all 20 onboard
cgtn.com
