live Turkish plane crash: President Erdoğan expresses 'deep sorrow' over incident

Turkish plane crash: President Erdoğan expresses 'deep sorrow' over incident
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reacts to news of Turkish military plane crash, 11 Nov 2025.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan via X

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has spoken of deep sorrow regarding the C -130 military aircraft crash that occurred on the Georgia - Azerbaijan border.

Speaking at a summit on Tuesday, the President said that efforts to reach the wreckage are continuing in coordination with the local authorities.

"God willing, we will overcome this accident with the least possible loss. May our Lord have mercy on our martyrs.

Let us, with our prayers, be by their side, God willing." he said.

Türkiye’s defence ministry had said earlier that one of its C130 military cargo planes has crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border on Tuesday.

It said in a statement that search and rescue operations were ongoing at the site of the incident and that the plane had departed Azerbaijan and was heading to Türkiye.

Türkiye's Minister of Interior, Ali Yerlikaya has also reacted to news of the crash stating that he was in touch with his Georgian counterpart.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has condoled with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the incident. 

In his message, the head of state wrote: “We were deeply saddened by the tragic news of the loss of servicemen in the crash of a Turkish Air Force military cargo plane, which took off from Ganja and crashed in Georgian territory.

In this moment of sorrow, I share your grief and, on behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan, extend heartfelt condolences to You, the families and loved ones of the deceased, and the fraternal people of Türkiye.” he said.

No further details are available about the possible cause of the crash or the number of casualties.

Video footage seen by Anewz purported to be of the cargo plane crash, and broadcast by Turkish local media appeared to show a plane spiraling downward, leaving a trail of smoke behind until it went down.

What sort of aircraft is the C-130E Hercules plane? 

File photo of a C-130E Hercules jet.
U.S. Airforce museum
 

The C-130E Hercules is a four-engine, turboprop-powered, tactical airlift aircraft capable of operating from austere airfields. 

The aircraft primarily performs the tactical portion of an airlift mission. It is capable of operating from rough, dirt strips and is the prime transport for air dropping troops and equipment into hostile areas.

The American Air Mobility Command Museum says that the aircraft is favoured by more than 40 countries worldwide including the United States. 

Although it typically operates with a crew of five people including two pilots, the number of casualties in Tuesday's crash is still unknown. 

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