ISTANBUL

Search and rescue teams have reached the wreckage of a Turkish military cargo plane that crashed on the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, Türkiye’s communications director said on Tuesday.

“From the first moment, our President has been receiving real-time updates on the search and rescue operations and closely following the efforts. He has also held talks with officials in both Georgia and Azerbaijan,” Burhanettin Duran said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

Duran said the teams had taken necessary safety measures and were carrying out operations with great care, and investigations into the cause of the crash will be conducted meticulously.

He expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of Turkish soldiers in the incident, saying they have left the nation in mourning.

Duran extended his condolences, saying: “May Allah have mercy on our heroic soldiers who became martyrs, and I wish patience to their families and loved ones. Our nation shares in this deep sorrow.”

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.