Saudi Arabia sends condolences to Turkiye after 20 troops die in plane crash

Investigators stand next to debris at a crash site of a Turkish military cargo plane in Georgia's Sighnaghi municipality, close to the Azerbaijani border on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP)

• Ankara says the soldiers were killed when a military transport flying from Azerbaijan to Turkiye crashed in Georgia
• It was the deadliest incident involving Turkish troops since 2020, when 33 soldiers were killed in combat in Syria

RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday evening sent condolences to authorities in Turkiye after a Turkish military aircraft crashed in Sighnaghi, eastern Georgia, killing 20 soldiers.

In its message, the ministry affirmed the Kingdom’s solidarity with the government of Turkiye after the tragic incident, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Earlier, Ankara had confirmed that 20 of its soldiers died the previous day when a C-130 cargo plane serving as a military transport crashed in Georgia while flying from Azerbaijan to Turkiye. It was the deadliest incident involving the NATO member state’s troops since 2020, when 33 soldiers were killed in combat in Syria.