A Turkish Armed Forces C-130 transport aircraft crashed near the border between Turkey and Georgia, the military in Ankara reported it. The airplane, which had departed from a military base in Azerbaijan and was headed to Turkish territory, went down in a border area where rescue and response activities are underway.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed "deep sorrow" and condolences to the "families of the martyrs", confirming that there are fatalities but not specifying their number. According to official sources, Turkish Army units —including air assets and Search and Rescue (Sar) resources— were sent to the scene for recovery and securing operations. Georgian authorities were immediately notified: the government in Tbilisi mobilized ground forces and assets to coordinate any interventions on the Georgian side of the border. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev contacted Erdoğan to express his condolences. At present information is fragmentary; Turkish military authorities have opened an investigation to determine the causes of the crash, which could involve technical factors, weather conditions or operational errors.

Official updates are expected in the coming hours from the competent sources.