National Defence Minister Yaşar Güler answered questions regarding the military healthcare system, stating that efforts continue at full speed to meet the Turkish Armed Forces’ need for military physicians. Güler noted that 744 students are currently studying at the university within GATA, and 147 physicians who graduated this year have been deployed to their respective posts.
Statement on the C-130 Fleet and the Crashed Aircraft
Responding to questions about the C-130 military cargo aircraft that crashed on 11 November on the Azerbaijan–Georgia border with 20 soldiers onboard, Güler stated that there are a total of 19 C-130s in the Turkish Armed Forces inventory. He said that 13 of these aircraft were procured from the United States and 6 from Saudi Arabia.
Emphasising that the term “old aircraft” is not accurate in aviation, Güler made the following assessment:
“Today, if we install a 2025-model component or renew the engine, the aircraft is considered modernised in 2025. They undergo very heavy and detailed maintenance. We do not have any aircraft that can be called ‘old.’”
“C-130s are among the safest aircraft in the world”
Highlighting the global reliability of C-130s, Güler said that the aircraft operate actively in 70 countries and possess a wide range of operational capabilities, including the ability to land on unpaved runways.
Güler stressed that all six C-130s procured from Saudi Arabia —including the crashed aircraft— underwent the Erciyes modernisation project developed by TUSAŞ, noting that all technical components were renewed.
Experience and flight records of the pilots shared
Güler stated that the pilots of the crashed aircraft had extensive flight experience, noting that the captain pilot had 6,209 flight hours and the co-pilot had 2,312 flight hours.
He also shared information regarding the aircraft’s carrying capacity:
“The standard take-off load capacity of C-130s, excluding passengers, is 20.2 tonnes. The total load onboard that day was 5.7 tonnes.”
Black box analysis continues
Announcing that the black boxes of the crashed aircraft have been recovered and investigations are ongoing, Güler said that TUSAŞ is conducting the analysis:
“We met last week, and they said they need approximately 2 months. Once the results are finalised, we will share all of the findings with the public.”
