Twenty killed in Turkish military plane crash in Georgia after leaving Azerbaijan

All 20 military personnel travelling on a Turkish C-130 cargo plane that crashed in Georgia have been killed, the Turkish government said on Tuesday.

The C-130 plane had taken off from Azerbaijan and was on its way back to Turkey when it crashed, Turkey's defence ministry said on X.

Video footage aired on news outlets appeared to show the aircraft spiralling down and leaving a trail of white smoke.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he was "deeply saddened" and expressed his condolences for those killed in the crash.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev expressed his condolences to his Turkish counterpart Erdoğan over the incident.

In his message, Aliyev 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 stated.

A search and rescue operation has been launched in coordination with Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities, authorities said.

The Georgian Interior Ministry said the aircraft crashed in the Sighnaghi municipality, near the Azerbaijani border, and that an investigation has been launched.

The C-130E Hercules, a four-engine turboprop-powered tactical airlifter, is widely used by Turkey's armed forces for transporting personnel and conducting logistical operations.