site.btaTurkish Defence Ministry: No Ammunition on Board of Crashed Military Cargo Plane

The Turkish military cargo plane C-130 that crashed in Georgia on Tuesday while flying from Azerbaijan to Turkiye, killing 20 service members, was carrying no ammunition, only personnel and aircraft maintenance equipment, the Turkish Ministry of Defence said on Thursday. This information was released during the Ministry’s regular weekly briefing, part of which was broadcast live on social media.

Defence Ministry Spokesperson Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk said that the aircraft had been in Azerbaijan to perform flights for the celebration of Azerbaijan’s Victory Day in Nagorno-Karabakh, held on November 8. On board were F-16 maintenance crews scheduled to return to Turkiye after the celebrations.

For safety reasons, all remaining Turkish C-130 military flights have been suspended since November 12. “Flights will resume once all technical inspections are completed and their results analyzed,” the Ministry said.

The crashed plane had been modernized and maintained on schedule. Its last inspections took place on September 11–12, 2025. The Ministry noted that this model is currently used in 70 countries and denied claims that the aircraft had been purchased from Saudi Arabia after being retired.

“The plane was bought from Saudi Arabia in 2012, incorporated into the Turkish Air Force in 2014 after maintenance, modernized, and returned to service in 2022. Since then, it has undergone regular maintenance,” the Ministry added.