NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and several world leaders extended condolences to Türkiye after a Turkish Air Force C-130 military cargo plane crashed on Tuesday near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, killing all service members on board.
In a statement shared on social media, NATO chief Rutte expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and to Türkiye, a NATO ally.
"We honor the service of the soldiers who lost their lives and are deeply grateful for everything the Turkish Armed Forces – and all our men and women in uniform across the alliance – do every day to keep us safe,” Rutte said.
The aircraft was en route from Azerbaijan to Türkiye when it went down in the mountainous border area between Georgia and Azerbaijan. Authorities confirmed that all 20 lost their lives.
Condolences poured in from several countries following the tragedy.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhürman said he was "deeply saddened” by the accident.
"I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs, their loved ones and to the entire Turkish nation,” Erhürman shared on his X (formerly Twitter) social media account.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also published a message of solidarity. "I am deeply saddened by the news of the crash of a Turkish C-130 military cargo aircraft while flying from Azerbaijan to Türkiye,” Tajani said. "We stand with the Turkish people, authorities and armed forces, as well as the rescue teams at the scene.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed sorrow, calling the incident a "tragic loss.”
"I send my deepest condolences to my dear brother President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to the families of those on board and to all our Turkish brothers and sisters,” he said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this difficult time.”
Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani said on X that her country stands with Türkiye. "Kosovo stands with our ally Türkiye in this difficult moment,” she said.
Romania’s Foreign Ministry also issued a statement expressing "deep sorrow” over the tragedy. "Romania conveys its deepest condolences to Türkiye and to the families of those who lost their lives. We stand with our Turkish friends during this difficult time,” the statement noted.
On the other hand, Qatar, Azerbaijan and Georgia extended their condolences to Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after the crash on Tuesday.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Türkiye’s Ministry of National Defense said recovery efforts were underway and that more details would be shared once the inspection was complete.
Georgian and Turkish search-and-rescue teams were dispatched to the region. Authorities are investigating whether violations of aviation safety or operational rules caused the crash.