Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has expressed his condolences to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan following the crash of a Turkish military cargo plane in Georgia.

The Prime Minister held a telephone conversation with President Erdoğan to convey his sympathy and support.

“I conveyed my heartfelt condolences to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan following the tragic crash of a Turkish Air Force cargo plane in Georgia. During this difficult time, Georgia stands in full solidarity with our Turkish friends. Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and all those affected by this tragedy,” Kobakhidze wrote on the social network X.

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that the Turkish military aircraft, flying in the Azerbaijan–Turkey direction, crashed in the Sighnaghi municipality, approximately five kilometers from the Georgian border.

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation under Article 275, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which concerns violations of air transport safety or operational rules resulting in loss of life.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed that a Turkish C-130 cargo aircraft crashed near the Georgian-Azerbaijani border, with 20 servicemen on board.