Georgian Interior Minister Geka Geladze confirmed that 18 of the 20 people on board a Turkish military aircraft that crashed in Georgia have been found dead, while the search for the remaining two continues.

Speaking to journalists, Geladze expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and to the Turkish people. “Yesterday at around 14:00, a Turkish military plane took off from Azerbaijan, crossed the Georgian border, and crashed about five kilometres inside Georgia. There were 20 crew members on board. Eighteen have been recovered and, sadly, have died. The search for the remaining two is ongoing,” he said.

Geladze added that he remains in constant coordination with the Turkish Interior Minister and that an international investigation team, including Turkish officials, has been established. “As this was a military aircraft, we will provide further details in cooperation with the Turkish side in stages,” he said.