Türkiye names 20 soldiers lost in C-130 aircraft incident

ürkiye's Ministry of National Defense has officially published the names of the twenty service members who died when a Turkish Air Force C-130 aircraft crashed during a flight from Azerbaijan. The incident occurred near the border region between Azerbaijan and Georgia, claiming the lives of all on board.

Honoring the Fallen

The ministry's list, shared via the social media platform X, included officers and non-commissioned officers from various ranks. The personnel who perished in the tragic air crash were Lt. Col. Gokhan Korkmaz, Maj. Serdar Uslu, Maj. Nihat Ilgen, 1st Lt. Cuneyt Kandemir, 1st Lt. Emre Mercan, Sgt. Maj. Nuri Ozcan, Sgt. Maj. Umit Ince, Sgt. Maj. Hamdi Armagan Kaplan, Sgt. Maj. Burak Ozkan, Sgt. Maj. Ilker Aykut, Sgt. Maj. Akın Karakus, Sgt. Maj. Emrah Kuran, Sgt. Maj. Ramazan Yagiz, Staff Sgt. Emre Altiok, Staff Sgt. Berkay Karaca, Staff Sgt. Burak Ibbigi, Staff Sgt. Ilhan Ongan, Sgt. 1st Class Ahmet Yasir Kuyucu, Specialist Sgt. Cem Dolapci, and Specialist Sgt. Emre Sayin.

A Nation's Tribute

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler issued a statement expressing profound sorrow. “Our heroic comrades were martyred on Nov. 11, 2025, when our C-130 military cargo aircraft, returning from Azerbaijan, crashed near the Georgia-Azerbaijan border," he stated. The minister conveyed his and the ministry's deepest sympathies, wishing for divine mercy for the martyrs and offering support to their families and the Turkish nation.