“Our C130 type military cargo plane, carrying our unit in Azerbaijan for the 5th anniversary celebrations of the Karabakh Victory, crashed in the Sighnaghi region near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border shortly after taking off to arrive in our country,” wrote Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkiye, on the X platform.

The President once again offered his condolences to the grieving families of the aircraft’s crash victims and the Turkish Armed Forces.

According to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkiye is thoroughly investigating the incident, and the Georgian authorities are “providing the utmost facilitation and cooperation during this process.”

“We are thoroughly investigating this tragic incident, which has deeply saddened our Azerbaijani brothers and Georgian friends, along with our nation. Georgian authorities are providing the utmost facilitation and cooperation during this process. Our Azerbaijani brothers are likewise providing all necessary support and contributions. Let my nation be sure of this: All the resources of the Republic of Türkiye, along with Georgia and Azerbaijan, have been mobilized for our heroes.

We monitor the work in the field from moment to moment. We will ensure that the necessary investigations are carried out meticulously and that all aspects of the incident are brought to light. I particularly ask our nation to be vigilant against lies, manipulations, and disinformation; I particularly implore them not to give credence to those who would stoop so low as to exploit such an incident for the sake of dirty politics on social media,” he wrote.

For reference, a Turkish military aircraft crashed in Sighnaghi municipality, approximately 5 kilometres from Georgia’s state border. The plane was conducting a flight on the Azerbaijan-Türkiye route. An investigation into the incident is underway under Article 275, Part 4 of the Criminal Code, which covers violations of air transport safety or operational regulations resulting in loss of life or injury.

Dün 86 milyonun tamamını hüzne boğan çok acı bir haber aldık.

Karabağ Zaferi’nin 5’inci yıl dönümü kutlamaları için Azerbaycan’da bulunan birliğimizi taşıyan C130 tipi askerî kargo uçağımız, ülkemize gelmek üzere havalandıktan kısa bir süre sonra Gürcistan-Azerbaycan sınırına…

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) November 12, 2025