Türkiye has temporarily grounded all of its C-130 military cargo planes following a tragic crash in eastern Georgia that killed 20 Turkish military personnel, the Defense Ministry announced on Thursday.

The ill-fated C-130 aircraft was flying from Ganja, Azerbaijan, to Türkiye when it went down in Georgia’s Sighnaghi municipality, near the Azerbaijani border, on Tuesday. The crash occurred as the aircraft was returning from Azerbaijan’s Victory Day commemorations marking the fifth anniversary of its 2020 victory over Armenia in the Karabakh conflict.

According to the National Defense Ministry, all C-130 flights have been suspended as a precautionary measure while detailed technical inspections are carried out. “Only aircraft that successfully pass the technical checks will be cleared for flight,” the ministry said in a written statement.

The fallen personnel were members of a specialized unit responsible for the maintenance and repair of Turkish F-16 fighter jets. They had traveled to Azerbaijan to support the jets deployed for the Karabakh Victory Day celebrations, which commemorate Azerbaijan’s military success in reclaiming territories occupied by Armenia since the early 1990s.

A Turkish investigation team has been dispatched to Georgia to determine the cause of the crash. The plane’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been sent to Ankara for analysis, officials confirmed.

Defense Ministry sources said the C-130 involved in the accident was originally purchased from Saudi Arabia in 2012 and entered Türkiye’s Air Force inventory in 2014 following extensive maintenance. The aircraft was later modernized and returned to service in 2022. Its most recent scheduled maintenance was completed on October 12, 2025.

Authorities have ruled out the presence of ammunition on board the aircraft, noting that the plane was conducting a routine personnel transport mission.

Debris from the wreckage was found scattered across multiple locations in Sighnaghi, while search teams continued operations to locate the remains of missing personnel. The ministry confirmed Thursday that the body of the 20th victim had been recovered.

Funeral arrangements are being coordinated after the completion of autopsies and the repatriation of remains to Türkiye.

The C-130 Hercules aircraft, originally designed by Lockheed Martin, forms the backbone of Türkiye’s tactical airlift capability and is used extensively for troop transport, humanitarian aid, and logistical missions.

The Defense Ministry expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, offering condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and emphasizing that all efforts are underway to uncover the exact cause of the disaster. (ILKHA)