A C-130 military cargo plane belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces, returning from Azerbaijan to Türkiye, crashed on the Georgia–Azerbaijan border. It was announced that all 20 military personnel on board were martyred in the crash.
In a statement released at 07:30 a.m., the Ministry of National Defence (MoND) said, “Our heroic comrades-in-arms were martyred on 11 November 2025.” The identities of the martyrs were shared with the public late at night, and their families were informed of the tragic news.
Names of the Martyred Soldiers
Pilot Lieutenant Colonel Gökhan Korkmaz, Petty Officer Senior Sergeant Berkay Karaca, Petty Officer Chief Sergeant İlker Aykut, Air Force Pilot Major Nihat İlgen, First Lieutenant Emre Mercan, Petty Officer Chief Sergeant Emrah Kuran, Petty Officer Senior Sergeant İlhan Ongan, Specialist Sergeant Emre Sayın, Petty Officer Staff Sergeant Ahmet Yasir Kuyucu, Petty Officer Senior Sergeant Emre Altıok, Air Force Pilot First Lieutenant Cüneyt Kandemir, Petty Officer Chief Sergeant Hamdi Armağan Kaplan, Petty Officer Senior Sergeant Burak İbbiği, Chief Master Sergeant Nuri Özcan, Air Force Pilot Major Serdar Uslu, Chief Master Sergeant Ümit İnce, Master Sergeant Burak Özkan, Specialist Sergeant Cem Dolapçı, Master Sergeant Ramazan Yağız, and Master Sergeant Akın Karakuş were martyred.
Details of the Incident
The Georgian Civil Aviation Authority reported that the Turkish military aircraft “disappeared from radar without issuing any distress signal.” The Ministry of National Defence announced that the wreckage of the crashed aircraft was reached around 17:00 on Tuesday, 11 November, and that the cause of the crash will be determined following the investigation conducted by the accident investigation team.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated following the incident, “God willing, we will overcome this tragedy with minimal loss. May Allah have mercy on our martyrs.”
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed his condolences, saying, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the martyred soldiers.” AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik also posted on social media, saying, “Our condolences to the precious families of our martyrs, the heroic Turkish Armed Forces, and our noble nation.”
The Ministry of National Defence reported that the aircraft crashed in the Kakheti region, approximately five kilometres from the Georgia–Azerbaijan border. Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya announced that Georgian Minister of Internal Affairs Gela Geladze had visited the crash site.
The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) issued a warning to broadcasters, calling for “the non-distribution of crash footage or images from the scene.”
Features of the C-130 Aircraft
C-130 military transport aircraft are used for long-range airlift, cargo, and personnel transport missions. Manufactured by the American defence company Lockheed Martin, these aircraft entered the Turkish Air Force inventory in 1964.
According to TRT News, the Turkish Air Force currently operates 19 C-130E and C-130B Hercules aircraft. In addition, Türkiye purchased six C-130E aircraft retired from service by Saudi Arabia in 2012.
The Ministry of National Defence announced last October that the procurement process for 12 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft belonging to the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom had begun. The C-130 fleet was planned to remain in service until 2040.
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