Türkiye to repatriate bodies of soldiers killed in Georgia plane crash—official

The bodies of Turkish servicemen who lost their lives in the crash of a Turkish Air Force military cargo aircraft near the Azerbaijan–Georgia border will soon be repatriated to Türkiye.

The announcement was made by Burhanettin Duran, Director of Communications of the Presidency of Türkiye, in a statement posted on the social media platform X, Caliber.Az reports.

Azerbaycan-Gürcistan sınırında düşen uçağımız ile ilgili arama kurtarma ve kaza kırım ekipleri çalışmalarına devam etmektedir.

Aziz şehitlerimizin naaşları, arama kurtarma ve kaza kırım heyetimizi Gürcistan'a götüren A-400M uçağımız ile ülkemize getirilecektir.

Enkaz arama…

— Burhanettin Duran (@burhanduran) November 12, 2025

According to Duran, the remains of the fallen soldiers will be transported aboard an A-400M aircraft — the same plane that earlier carried Turkish search and rescue, as well as technical response teams, to the crash site in Georgia.

“Search and rescue operations and efforts to address the aftermath of the crash are ongoing,” Duran noted.

The tragic incident has prompted close coordination between Turkish and Georgian authorities as recovery and investigation efforts continue near the border region.

On November 11, 2025, a Turkish C-130 military transport aircraft crashed in Georgia while flying from Azerbaijan to Türkiye. The plane was carrying 20 members of the Turkish Armed Forces, including technical service personnel. All on board the aircraft were killed.

The crash occurred in mountainous terrain near Georgia's Signagi town. Prior to departure, the aircraft had spent approximately two hours at Ganja airport in Azerbaijan, with no recorded technical issues. Following the crash, search and recovery teams from both Türkiye and Georgia were dispatched to the site, recovering wreckage and investigating the incident.

The cause of the crash is yet to be determined, with investigators examining possible technical faults, weather conditions, or other contributing factors.

By Vafa Guliyeva