Statements from the Turkish Ministry of Defense or Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Turkey Deploys Cougar-type Night Vision Helicopter and Drone to Aid in Search for Iranian President on Sunday

May 19, 2024, 07:56 PM

Turkey has deployed a night vision-equipped Cougar-type helicopter and an Akıncı drone to assist in the search for the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. The Turkish disaster management agency AFAD has also dispatched 32 mountaineer search and rescue personnel and six vehicles from Van and Erzurum to aid in the operation. The Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed that the request for assistance came from Iran, and the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs facilitated the deployment. The search efforts, initiated on Sunday, are focused on mountainous areas where the helicopter is believed to have crashed.