Turkey holds funeral ceremony for 20 military personnel killed in Georgia plane crash

Turkey held a funeral ceremony on Friday for the 20 military personnel who were killed in a plane crash in Georgia earlier this week.

Families, officials and fellow soldiers paid their respects in front of the 20 coffins draped in the national flag at an airbase in the capital Ankara.

The deceased were later taken to their hometowns for burials.

The C-130 military cargo was flying from Azerbaijan back to Turkey when it crashed in Georgia's Sighnaghi municipality close to the Azerbaijani border on Tuesday.

The cause of the crash is still being investigated. Turkey immediately dispatched an accident investigation team to determine the cause of the crash.

The plane's flight data and cockpit voice data recorders are under examination in Ankara, the National Defence Ministry said.

The ministry said there was no ammunition on board the aircraft when it crashed.

The victims included crew members and military personnel responsible for the maintenance and repair of Turkish F-16 jets that had flown to Azerbaijan to participate in that country’s Victory Day celebrations.

The military has temporarily grounded its remaining C-130 military cargo planes as a precaution pending technical inspections.

C-130 planes are widely used by Turkey's armed forces for transporting personnel and handling logistical operations.