The bodies of 19 personnel have been recovered from the wreckage of a Turkish military cargo plane that crashed on Tuesday near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday.
Speaking at a meeting of the Justice and Development (AK) Party’s provincial heads in Ankara, Erdogan said the aircraft’s black box had been recovered and that a detailed investigation is now underway.
Search efforts continue for one remaining victim.
“Ongoing work at the crash site is being closely monitored, and all necessary investigations will be conducted meticulously to clarify every aspect of the incident,” the president said.
Warnings on misinformation
Erdogan emphasised that Türkiye’s National Defence Ministry and Communications Directorate will continue to provide regular updates on the situation.
He also warned citizens to remain vigilant against misinformation regarding the crash, cautioning against those who “stoop to dirty politics.”
The Turkish Air Force C-130 transport plane, carrying 20 military personnel, went down shortly after taking off from Azerbaijan on a flight bound for Türkiye.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
