MOSCOW
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan’s presidents offered their condolences over the crash Tuesday of a Turkish military cargo plane with 20 people on board near the Georgian-Azerbaijani border.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev conveyed his condolences to Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding the tragic accident involving the C-130 aircraft.
In an official statement released by the presidential press service, Tokayev emphasized his profound sadness upon learning about the significant loss of life.
"The head of state expressed his sincere condolences to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the fraternal Turkish people," the statement said.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev extended his condolences over the incident in a phone call with the Turkish president.
"During the telephone conversation, it was noted that the relevant state institutions of Azerbaijan and Türkiye are in contact regarding the incident," said a statement by Aliyev's press service.
Aliyev underscored his solidarity with those grieving during such trying times and offered words of consolation not only personally but also on behalf of all citizens of Azerbaijan.
Earlier in the day, a Turkish C-130 military cargo aircraft en route from Azerbaijan crashed in Georgia.
According to the Turkish Defense Ministry, the aircraft was carrying 20 people, including the flight crew, and search and rescue efforts are ongoing.
The ministry later announced that "Georgian search and rescue teams reached the wreckage of the plane at 5 pm," adding that the wreckage has been secured for examination by Türkiye's crash investigation team.