Turkey military aircraft crash sparks rescue operation as emergency services scrambled

A Turkish Air Force C-130 in flight over Konya, Turkey (file picture) (Image: Getty Images/Stocktrek Images)

One of Turkey's C130 military cargo aircraft crashed in an area on the border between Azerbaijan and Georgia. The aircraft had taken off on Tuesday afternoon from an Azeri airport to return to Turkey. Search and rescue operations have begun in coordination with the authorities of Azerbaijan and Georgia, the Turkish Defence Ministry said. 

According to reports from Imedi TV, a military aircraft, believed to be Turkish, crashed near the Georgian-Azerbaijani border. Social media footage suggests that the pilot was able to eject safely before the crash. A criminal investigation has been initated  in Georgia."The Ministry of Internal Affairs will provide the public with detailed information about the incident in stages," said a government statement.

The stricken plane was a C-130 belonging to the armed forces of Turkey (Image: Will Stewart)

The Turking ministry of national defence said: "A C130 cargo plane taking off from Azerbaijan to our country crashed in Georgia. Search and rescue efforts have been initiated in coordination with Georgian authorities.”

The area is close to the Georgian-Azerbaijani border. "Details regarding the plane's departure point, the number of personnel it was carrying and its route remain unclear at this time," said one report.

Turkey recently reached agreement to buy a dozen second-hand C-130J military transport aircraft from the United Kingdom, said reports.

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