2021 Turkish Air Force Eurocopter AS532 Cougar crash

The Turkish Air Force (TAF) Eurocopter AS532 Cougar took off from Bingöl in eastern Turkey, at 10:55am GMT. The helicopter was en route to Tatvan in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish-populated Bitlis Province, It lost contact at around 11:25am GMT. The Turkish Ministry of National Defence (MoD) stated that the helicopter crashed in a rural area near Tatvan. The crash happened in an area blanketed in snow and with visibility hampered by thick clouds in the mountainous region. Locals rushed to the crash site to help the survivors as soon they heard the news of the crash. One of the survivors was partially buried under the wreck and snow. == Aftermath ==

The crash was reported by the Turkish MoD. The ministry added that there were "efforts underway for the transfer of the injured personnel to the hospital". It also stated that an investigation was launched right away. The Turkish military immediately launched a search and rescue mission, dispatching a party consisting of an unmanned aerial vehicle, a CASA/IPTN CN-235 transport aircraft, and a helicopter. == Reactions ==

Domestic The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, wished God's mercy upon the perished servicemen soldiers and extended his condolences to their families, the Turkish nation and the Turkish Armed Forces. Vice President of Turkey, Fuat Oktay, extended condolences to families of the fallen soldiers. and MHP chairman Devlet Bahçeli, expressed their condolences over the accident. International The United States embassy to Turkey in Ankara offered "its sincere condolences" for the Turkish soldiers killed and injured in the crash, wishing a "rapid recovery to the injured". Head of the European Union Delegation to Turkey, Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, offered his sympathies for those affected by the crash, while the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu to extend his condolences. The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, expressed his sorrow to President Erdoğan in a phone call, == See also ==