Azerbaijan requested, Turkey accepted: Turkish delegation in Baku

Azerbaijani Minister of Transport Rashad Nabiyev made important statements regarding the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan on December 25, claiming the lives of 38 people.

Nabiyev stated that the investigations conducted after the crash and the testimonies of eyewitnesses indicate that there may have been external interference with the aircraft. He also announced that Azerbaijan is exercising its right to include international consultants in the investigation.

Stating that a commission was established upon the instructions of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev following the crash and that work has begun to determine the causes of the accident, Nabiyev announced that explosion sounds were heard over Grozny before the plane went down. He noted that images circulating on social media show holes in the plane's wing and damage consistent with a sharp object on its fuselage.

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

Minister of Transport Nabiyev said that the investigation is focused on researching external interference with the plane and that the aircraft's flight trajectory is also being examined. He further stated that elements such as the loss of the GPS signal after the crash and the necessity of making an emergency landing will be addressed within the scope of the investigation.

SUPPORT FROM TURKEY

Turkey has sent an investigation delegation to support Azerbaijan. Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that, upon Azerbaijan's request, an 8-person Turkish technical team would depart for Baku and that the causes of the crash would be investigated in cooperation with Azerbaijani authorities. Minister Uraloğlu stated that Turkey stands with Azerbaijan under all circumstances and wished mercy upon those who lost their lives in the crash.

The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 passenger plane crashed near Kazakhstan on December 25 while flying from Baku to Grozny. While 38 of the 67 passengers lost their lives, 29 people survived. An international investigation was launched following the crash, and experts from various countries were sent to the scene to examine all aspects of the incident.

WHAT HAPPENED?

On December 25, an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 passenger plane crashed near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, while flying from Baku to the Russian city of Grozny. Of the 67 people on board, 38 lost their lives, while 29 survived.

Speaking to Reuters, 4 Azerbaijani government sources suggested that the plane was brought down by a surface-to-air missile system fired by Russia. They attributed the plane's disappearance from radar for a period to the disabling of the aircraft's air radar system.

According to a report by the Baku-based international broadcaster AnewZ, citing Azerbaijani government sources, the missile was fired from a Pantsir-S surface-to-air defense system.