3 martyred in southwest Turkey military aircraft crash

By Murat Egilmez and Sarp Ozer

ISPARTA, Turkey (AA) - Two pilots and a technician were martyred when a military training aircraft crashed in southwestern Isparta province on Wednesday, according to a provincial governor.

The aircraft crashed in Kasikara town of Yalvac district, Isparta Governor Sehmus Gunaydin told Anadolu Agency.

The cause of the aircraft crash so far remains unknown, Gunaydin added.

“Unfortunately, we have three martyrs. There is no information on how this training aircraft crashed,” he said, adding a Turkish Air Forces helicopter arrived at the scene soon after the crash.

Turkish General Staff also confirmed the crash in a separate statement on its website.

“A military cargo plane, CN-235 CASA, carrying two pilots and a technician took off Eskisehir’s 1st Main Jet Base at 11.03 a.m. [0803GMT] as part of a planned training flight. Contact with the aircraft was lost at around 12.50 p.m. [0950GMT] while search-and-rescue activities started immediately,” the statement said.

“The wreckage and the dead bodies of three gallant soldiers were found in the northern side of the Egirdir Lake at around 14.30 p.m. [1130 GMT],” it added.