Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced that the black box from the Turkish military cargo aircraft that crashed on Georgian territory has been found.
Erdoğan made this statement during a meeting with members of the ruling Justice and Development Party.
According to the Turkish President, an investigation has been launched. He also noted that 20 military personnel lost their lives as a result of the air disaster.
As Erdoğan stated, contact with the relevant agencies was established immediately after the aircraft crashed and search and rescue operations began promptly; 19 bodies have been recovered to date, whilst the search continues for one more body.
Erdoğan called on the public to be cautious regarding false information and not to trust those attempting to exploit such incidents on social media for “dirty political purposes”. He once again expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased.
For reference, a Turkish military aircraft crashed in Sighnaghi municipality, approximately 5 kilometres from Georgia’s state border. The plane was conducting a flight on the Azerbaijan-Türkiye route. An investigation into the incident is underway under Article 275, Part 4 of the Criminal Code, which covers violations of air transport safety or operational regulations resulting in loss of life or injury.
