20 Dead After Turkish Military Plane Crashes in Georgia

All 20 people on board a Turkish military cargo plane that crashed in eastern Georgia have been confirmed dead, Turkey’s defense ministry announced on Wednesday.

The C-130 Hercules aircraft had taken off from Ganja Airport in western Azerbaijan on Tuesday afternoon and was en route back to Turkey when it went down shortly after crossing into Georgian airspace, officials said.

“Our heroic comrades-in-arms were martyred on 11 November 2025 due to the crash of our C-130 military cargo aircraft, which had taken off from Azerbaijan to return to Turkey,” Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Güler said in a statement posted on his X account. He also shared photos of all 20 victims.

Dramatic footage published by Azerbaijani media appeared to show the plane spinning and breaking apart before impact. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.

Georgia’s interior ministry confirmed the aircraft went down in the Sighnaghi area, about five kilometers (3.1 miles) from the Azerbaijani border. Local authorities said the plane disappeared from radar without sending a distress signal, and emergency teams were alerted immediately after reports of an explosion.

Photos from the scene showed the wreckage scattered across a hillside near the Georgia–Azerbaijan border as rescue crews continued search and recovery operations on Wednesday.

The C-130 Hercules, built by U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin, is a widely used military transport aircraft known for its versatility and rugged performance.