All 20 bodies recovered after Turkish military plane crash near Georgian border

Authorities in Georgia on Thursday said all 20 bodies had been recovered from the site of a Turkish military plane crash near the country’s southeastern border, following a three-day search operation carried out jointly with Turkish emergency services.

Interior Minister Geka Geladze confirmed that the final body was found on Wednesday, after 19 had been transported to the morgue the previous day. “The remains of all 20 crew members have been located,” he said, adding that forensic teams and investigators continued work at the crash site and surrounding area.

According to the minister, all relevant technical components and fragments of the aircraft had been identified and were now undergoing examination. More than 1,000 personnel from both Georgia and Turkey took part in the rescue and investigative efforts.

Geladze expressed gratitude to Georgian emergency units, the Defence Forces and Turkish partners for their cooperation during the large-scale operation.

The Turkish military aircraft crashed on 11 November, approximately five kilometres from the Georgian state border.