Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili held a telephone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan following the crash of a Turkish military cargo plane in Georgia.

In a message shared on social media, Botchorishvili expressed her condolences to the families of the victims and to the people of Türkiye.

“I spoke with Minister Hakan Fidan regarding the tragic crash of a Turkish Air Force cargo plane in Georgia. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the people of Türkiye. Our governments are in close coordination during this difficult time,” she wrote.

According to the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Turkish military aircraft, traveling from Azerbaijan to Türkiye, crashed in the Sighnaghi municipality, about five kilometers from the Georgian border.

Georgia’s air navigation agency, Sakaeronavigatsia, confirmed that both Ganja Airport and Turkish authorities were immediately informed of the incident.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense stated that the aircraft was a C-130 transport plane carrying 20 servicemen when it crashed near the Georgian-Azerbaijani border.