(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 12. A C-130 military cargo aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff yesterday in the Signa-G region near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a statement, Trend reports.

Erdoğan began his remarks with condolences and listed the names of the crew members who died in the accident:

"Tragically, 20 of our countrymen were martyred in this incident... May Almighty God grant our martyrs paradise and elevate their ranks. Words cannot convey the pain in our hearts. We shed our tears in silence and carry our grief within," he said.

The head of state also provided details on the ongoing investigation.

"As soon as we received the news, our Minister of National Defense, along with the Ministers of Interior and Foreign Affairs, contacted the relevant authorities. Search and rescue operations began immediately. Our drones were deployed in cooperation with the Georgian authorities to capture footage.

By around 17:00 [GMT+4] the same day, the wreckage was located. For security, the crash site was fully secured. That night, our 46-member investigation team was sent to the site. The black box of our aircraft has been found, and the investigation has started. The bodies of 19 martyrs have been recovered, while search efforts for the final victim continue," Erdoğan said.

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