A Turkish military cargo plane crashed in Georgia on Tuesday while returning from Azerbaijan, killing all 20 military personnel on board, officials said.

Turkey's Defence Ministry confirmed the crash near Georgia's border with Azerbaijan and said coordination with Georgian authorities was underway for rescue and recovery efforts.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed sorrow after receiving news of the crash during a public address, calling the victims“martyrs” and offering prayers for their souls.

Footage broadcast by local media showed the C-130 aircraft descending rapidly and leaving a trail of white smoke before impact.

Georgia's Interior Ministry said the plane went down near the city of Signagi close to the Azerbaijani border, and investigators had begun examining the cause of the crash.

Following the incident, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev extended condolences to Erdoğan, expressing“deep sorrow” over the loss of Turkish soldiers and solidarity with the Turkish people.

The C-130 is a four-engine tactical aircraft widely used by Turkey's armed forces for personnel transport and support operations.

The accident recalls a similar tragedy two decades ago when another C-130 crashed near Tehran's Mehrabad Airport, raising new questions about the aging fleet's safety.

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