“Practically all major parts of the aircraft, as well as all the bodies, have been recovered,” Georgian Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Irakli Chikovani told journalists at the crash site of the Turkish military cargo plane near the Georgian-Azerbaijani border.

The Minister reiterated his sorrow over the tragedy and extended his condolences to the Turkish Armed Forces and the Turkish people.

Irakli Chikovani highlighted that the search operations, led by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and involving personnel and equipment from the Georgian Defence Forces, have been conducted in close coordination with the Turkish authorities from the very outset.

“Through coordinated efforts with the Turkish side, we have achieved significant progress in the search operations. Investigative procedures are ongoing, with representatives of the Turkish Air Force present at the scene, and the combined findings will enable us to draw meaningful conclusions,” said Irakli Chikovani.

The Turkish military cargo plane, a C-130, crashed on November 11, approximately five kilometres from the Georgian-Azerbaijani border in the Sighnaghi municipality.