“The helicopter crashed due to bad weather” – 11 Turks are buried today  

According to initial information, the military helicopter crash that killed 11 people, including a senior officer, took place yesterday, Thursday, in southeastern Turkey, due to bad weather conditions, announced today the Turkish Minister of Defence.

“According to initial information and testimonies, the accident occurred due to bad weather conditions,” said Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar.

The minister clarified, however, that the exact cause of the accident can be announced only after a “detailed investigation”.

Two injured, who are in stable condition, are still being treated, Akar added.

General Osman Erbas, commander of the 8th corps of the Turkish army, is among those killed in the accident in the Bitlis region (southeastern Turkey).

According to the Ministry of Defence, the helicopter, a Cougar manufactured by Airbus, took off from the city of Bingιόl just before 13:00 (Greece time) to go to Tatvan and half an hour later it went off radar.

Authorities located the crash site after deploying unmanned aerial vehicles, a reconnaissance plane and a helicopter.

According to the images broadcast by the Turkish television networks, the area where the accident took place was covered with thick fog.

“Our pain is great,” Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Thursday night.

An official funeral ceremony for the soldiers killed in the accident is scheduled for this afternoon and will be attended by the Turkish president.

Also read: Military helicopter crash in Turkey – Eleven dead

Source: ANA MPA