Turkish military cargo plane crashes in Georgia with 20 soldiers killed
It is not yet clear how many people were aboard the C-130 Hercules. (Reuters/TV.IMEDI)
In short:
A Turkish C-130 Hercules military plane has crashed in Georgia after taking off in the neighbouring country of Azerbaijan.
Türkiye's defence ministry says 20 Turkish soldiers on board were killed in the crash.
What's next?
Authorities say a multi-national response is underway.
Twenty Turkish soldiers have died in a Turkish military plane crash in Georgia, the country's defence ministry has said.
The C-130 crashed after taking off from the central Asian country of Azerbaijan, and Turkish officials said they were coordinating with Georgian officials to reach the site.
Video footage aired on Turkish news outlets appeared to show the aircraft spiralling down and leaving a trail of white smoke.
At the end of a speech in the Turkish capital of Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he was saddened to learn of the news and offered condolences for "our martyrs".
Authorities are searching through debris of the crash. (Reuters/TV.IMEDI)
"God willing, we will overcome this crash with minimum hardships. May God rest the souls of our martyrs, and let us be with them through our prayers," he said.
Mr Erdoğan, his office and the defence ministry did not say what caused the crash.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said he had spoken by phone to his Georgian counterpart, adding the Georgian minister was en route to the crash site.
Türkiye's armed forces use the C-130 for military transport. (Reuters TV)
Georgia's Interpress news agency said the plane had crashed in Sighnaghi, a municipality in the Kakheti region in eastern Georgia, bordering Azerbaijan.
The agency said the incident was being investigated.
C-130 military cargo planes are widely used by Türkiye's armed forces for transporting personnel and handling logistical operations.
Türkiye and Azerbaijan maintain close military cooperation.
Reuters