Qatar, Azerbaijan and Georgia on Tuesday extended their condolences to Türkiye after a Turkish military cargo plane crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, killing several soldiers, as joint search and rescue operations continued at the site.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani conveyed his condolences to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the loss of Turkish soldiers in the crash, the Qatari Emiri Diwan said in a written statement.
“Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a message of condolences to the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, over the victims of the Turkish Defense Ministry’s military cargo plane crash,” the statement read.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also called Erdoğan to express solidarity and condolences, the Azerbaijani presidency said. “During the telephone conversation, it was noted that the relevant state institutions of Azerbaijan and Türkiye are in contact regarding the incident,” it added.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz later spoke with Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov, who reiterated Baku’s condolences and said Azerbaijan was closely following developments.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze also offered his condolences to Erdoğan and expressed his country’s support in ongoing recovery efforts, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said. Erdoğan thanked Kobakhidze for his solidarity and assistance.
Earlier Tuesday, Türkiye’s Defense Ministry announced that a C-130 military cargo plane en route from Azerbaijan to Türkiye had crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border. The ministry said the aircraft was carrying 20 personnel, including the flight crew, and that search and rescue efforts were launched in coordination with Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities. Later in the day, Georgian teams reached the wreckage around 5 p.m., securing the site for Türkiye’s crash investigation team.
