The bodies of 19 members of the Turkish army have been found at the crash site of a C-130 military transport plane along the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, adding that the search for another victim continues, Anadolia reports.
Speaking at a meeting of provincial leaders of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Ankara on Wednesday, Erdogan confirmed that the plane’s black box had been found and that investigations into the causes of the crash had already begun.
“Activities at the crash site are being closely monitored, and all necessary investigations will be carried out with utmost care to shed light on every detail of this tragic event,” the Turkish president said, noting that the nation can rest assured that, together with Turkey, all the resources of Georgia and Azerbaijan are “mobilized for our heroes.”
He added that the Ministry of National Defense and the Directorate of Communications of the Republic of Turkey will continue to regularly inform the public about all new information related to the plane crash.
Erdogan also called on citizens to be careful about misinformation that is being spread about the accident and not to give space to those “who resort to dirty politics in moments of national grief.”
The Turkish president paid tribute to the fallen soldiers by reading their names and praying for them.
He said that after the crash, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan immediately contacted their counterparts and search and rescue operations were quickly launched.
Erdogan noted that drones were deployed in coordination with Georgian authorities to obtain visual images of the area.
He said the crash site was cordoned off for security reasons and that “our 46-strong crash investigation team was dispatched to the area last night”.
“Georgian authorities are providing all the necessary support and cooperation at the highest level, while our Azerbaijani brothers have also provided every form of assistance,” he added.
Erdogan expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, the Turkish Armed Forces and the nation, and thanked the friendly and brotherly countries that share Turkey’s grief.
Turkey’s Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said search and rescue teams, as well as accident investigation teams, continue to work on the plane crash.
“The remains of our beloved martyrs will be returned to our country by our A-400M aircraft, which transported our search, rescue and accident investigation teams to Georgia,” Duran wrote on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal.
He thanked the Georgian authorities for their quick response and full support from the first moment, noting that they have mobilized all resources for recovery efforts.
“Developments in this matter will continue to be shared with the public,” he added.
(Vijesti.ba/Fena)
