Authorities to examine wreckage of crashed military plane
ANKARA
The wreckage of a Turkish military cargo plane that crashed near the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan, killing all 20 soldiers on board, will be brought to Türkiye for examination, the Defense Ministry said on Nov. 13.
The body of the last missing soldier was found on Nov. 13, a day after the remains of 19 personnel were recovered. The bodies are scheduled to be flown to Türkiye aboard an A-400M aircraft carrying search and rescue and accident investigation teams to the crash site, officials said.
The C-130 Hercules plane, made by U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin, was flying from the Azerbaijani city of Ganja to Türkiye when it went down in the Georgian town of Sighnaghi, near the border on Nov. 11. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
"Our work is continuing so that the results can be obtained as soon as possible," the ministry said in a statement.
Authorities said the plane had transported spare parts for six F-16 fighter jets and maintenance crews participating in the Victory Day ceremonies in Azerbaijan. On its return flight, the aircraft carried about six tons of supply materials, including spare parts, but no ammunition or explosive materials, according to the ministry.
Teams have mapped how the wreckage was scattered across a wide plain surrounded by hills and will now transfer the debris to the central city of Kayseri for detailed examination. Initial assessments indicate the tail of the plane broke off first, though no signs of external interference were found on the fuselage, according to daily Milliyet.
Meanwhile, the plane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been sent to the capital Ankara for analysis.
Footage from the scene suggested the plane may have broken apart midair before exploding upon impact, though officials have not confirmed that theory. Georgia’s aviation authority said contact with the aircraft was lost shortly after it entered the country’s airspace and that no distress signal was issued.
Speculation about sabotage, air-defense involvement or other external factors has surfaced, but officials said no evidence supports those claims. Other potential causes, including mechanical failure or pilot error, remain under review.
The ministry said the crashed C-130 had been purchased from Saudi Arabia in 2012, entered service in 2014 after modernization and underwent its last maintenance between Sept. 11 and Oct. 12 this year.
Flights of all C-130 aircraft in Türkiye have been suspended since Nov. 12 as a precaution until detailed inspections are completed.
Condolences have poured in from across Türkiye and abroad as the nation mourns the loss of its soldiers.
Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev and Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili extended their condolences to their Turkish counterparts over the crash.
Turkish Cyprus, Italy, Romania, Kosovo, Iran, Qatar, Egypt and Kuwait were among several nations showing solidarity with Türkiye. Various other countries also expressed sorrow through their diplomatic missions in Ankara.
