The Turkish government has confirmed that all 20 soldiers on board a military transport plane were killed after it crashed in neighboring Georgia.
According to officials, the aircraft went down in a mountainous area near the border late on Friday, during what was described as a routine training mission. Search and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the site, but authorities later confirmed that there were no survivors.
The Turkish Defense Ministry expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, describing it as “a great national loss.” In a statement, it said: “All 20 of our heroic soldiers have lost their lives in the line of duty. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families.”
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but preliminary reports suggest that poor weather conditions and technical failure may have contributed to the accident.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also sent his condolences to the families of the victims and ordered a full investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
Flags have been lowered to half-mast across Turkey as the nation mourns the fallen soldiers.