Abdülkadir Uraloğlu, who leads Turkey’s Ministry of Transport, stated that officials in Ankara did not receive any signal from the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ibrahim Reisi that crashed in the northwest of Iran. The disclosure was reported by TRT News, the Turkish public broadcaster.
According to the senior Turkish official, Turkish airspace monitoring centers, overseen by controllers in Ankara, were initially focused on whether the helicopter had transmitted a distress signal. Uraloğlu noted that Turkey offered assistance to Iran in the ongoing search and rescue operation for the downed aircraft, underscoring a cooperative stance in the aftermath of the incident.
On May 19, the helicopter carrying President Reisi went down in the mountainous region near the border with Azerbaijan, prompting urgent search efforts and international concern. The event triggered a line of succession discussions within Iran as the country prepared for the temporary transfer of presidential duties.
The responsibilities of the presidency were temporarily assumed by the first deputy, Mohammed Mokhber, for a 50-day period to ensure continuity of government. Plans were announced for early presidential elections to decide the next head of state in the country.
Also aboard the downed helicopter were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several other Iranian officials. In the ensuing administrative adjustments, Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani appointed a deputy head for the Islamic Republic’s foreign affairs department to manage ongoing diplomatic channels during the crisis.
Reports from officials indicated that a location and date for the farewell ceremony of President Reisi had been identified, signaling steps toward a formal national tribute in the wake of the tragic loss.