A Turkish military cargo plane carrying at least 20 people has crashed near the Azerbaijan-Georgia border, Turkey's defence ministry has said.
Officials have not confirmed the number of casualties, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier offered his condolences to our martyrs.
Search and rescue efforts have begun at the scene. The number on board included flight crew, officials said.
The defence ministry stated that the C-130 cargo plane had been travelling from Azerbaijan to Turkey.
Images from the scene show emergency services on site and what appears to be wreckage from the plane.
According to BBC Turkish, Georgia's aviation authority reported that the aircraft disappeared from radar without issuing a distress signal.
Georgia's interior ministry confirmed that the plane crashed near Sighnaghi, approximately 5km (3 miles) from Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev expressed his deep sadness over the tragic news and extended condolences to Erdogan and the people of Turkey.
The U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, also conveyed his sorrow over the crash, sending heartfelt condolences to the families of the fallen.
The C-130 is a U.S.-made transport plane widely used by air forces across the globe.
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