Bodies of 19 Soldiers and Black Box Recovered from Turkish Cargo Plane Crash in Georgia

WISE NEWS PRESS / ANKARA, TURKEY — Nov. 11, 2025

The Turkish Ministry of National Defense (MSB) confirmed that all 20 soldiers aboard the C-130 military cargo plane that crashed over Georgia while returning from Azerbaijan were killed. The Ministry announced this morning that 19 bodies have been recovered from the wreckage, along with the plane’s black box.

The MSB made the statement at 7:30 AM, confirming: "Our heroic comrades-in-arms were martyred on November 11, 2025." The Ministry added, "The cause of the plane crash will be determined following a detailed examination by our accident investigation team at the plane wreckage."

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking at a party program in Ankara, confirmed that the plane's black box was found and is currently being examined. Erdoğan noted that 19 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage site and search efforts were ongoing for the remaining crew member.

F-16 Experts and Spare Parts Aboard

Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran announced that the bodies of the fallen soldiers would be brought back to Turkey aboard an A-400M aircraft, which had transported the search and rescue and investigation teams to Georgia.

The Azerbaijan Report news agency reported that those onboard included maintenance specialists for the F-16 fighter jets who had participated in the Victory Day parade in Baku on Saturday. The Azeri agency also reported that the plane was carrying mechanical spare parts for the F-16s and did not contain any explosives, making an in-flight explosion unlikely.

No Distress Signal, Experts Suggest Fuel Dump

The C-130 military cargo plane crashed in Georgia's Kakheti region shortly after crossing the Azerbaijan border. Georgia’s aviation authority stated that the Turkish military plane disappeared from radar "without sending an alarm signal."

Jarrod Phillips, a retired C-130 expert from the US Air Force, told Reuters that images of the crash site "suggest the crew may have dumped fuel for an emergency landing." Phillips noted that the images indicated that the tail section of the aircraft had separated during flight, with fuel visibly leaking from the wingtip valves.

The plane itself was reported by FlightRadar24 and two Turkish defense analysts to be 57 years old and had joined the Turkish Air Force inventory in 2010.

International Condolences

Condolence messages poured in from various countries:

• US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack: Expressed "deep sadness" and extended "our sincere condolences to the families of the martyrs, the Turkish Armed Forces, and the people of Turkey."

• NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte: "We offer our deepest condolences to our Ally Turkey and the relatives of those who lost their lives."

• Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Iranian Foreign Ministry also offered their condolences and support.

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