Turkey has halted its C-130 military cargo flights as a safety measure following a crash in Georgia that killed all 20 onboard, stated the defense ministry on Thursday.
The crash occurred on Tuesday when the plane was returning from Azerbaijan. The victims’ bodies are set to be brought back home on Thursday, according to the ministry.
“Effective November 12, 2025, our C-130 flights are suspended,” the ministry announced, noting that flights will resume after comprehensive technical inspections and safety evaluations are completed.
The aircraft had departed from Ganja airport in Azerbaijan on Tuesday afternoon but crashed soon after entering Georgian airspace, the ministry reported.
The cause of the crash remains unknown, though eyewitness footage shared by Azerbaijani media showed the plane spinning with debris as it descended.
“A thorough investigation by the accident analysis team will determine the cause,” the ministry stated.
“Our efforts to swiftly conclude the investigation are ongoing.”
Investigators have retrieved the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, known as black boxes, and taken them to Ankara for analysis, the ministry added.
The aircraft was transporting personnel and maintenance supplies, emphasizing there were “no weapons onboard.”
The Azerbaijani Report news agency noted that among the passengers were F-16 maintenance experts who attended Saturday’s military parade in Baku celebrating Victory Day, commemorating Azerbaijan’s 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh victory.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, along with his foreign and defense ministers and intelligence chief, attended the event.
The defense ministry mentioned the C-130 was acquired from Saudi Arabia in 2012 and integrated into Turkey’s air force in 2014 after undergoing maintenance and upgrades.
It was modernized and operational by 2022.
“Regular maintenance has been performed since then. Contrary to certain claims, it was not decommissioned but was an excess aircraft,” the ministry clarified.
