In a statement released on Monday, the General Staff said that the pilots aboard the helicopter -- Lt. Yakup Chinar and Lt. Anıl Barısh Chetin -- were quite experienced and that Çınar also worked as a search and rescue pilot.
The statement said the Accident Investigation Team of the Civil Aviation General Directorate (SHGM) is working to determine the exact cause of the crash, but preliminary investigations indicate the crash occurred due to adverse weather conditions including fog.
The soldiers perished on Saturday when their helicopter crashed in southeastern Turkey, according to Turkish officials. The Sikorsky helicopter reportedly crashed into Herekol Mountain in the Pervari region of Siirt province. Siirt Governor Ahmet Aydın said all of the soldiers aboard the helicopter were killed in the crash.
Fourteen of the victims were members of the gendarmerie forces, and the rest were helicopter crew, he said. The soldiers were being transported to a region near the Turkish border with Iraq to help troops in their fight against terrorists. Aydın said three officers, four noncommissioned officers, one special sergeant and nine privates were killed in the crash.
An official ceremony was held at Diyarbakır's main airport on Sunday for the soldiers and their bodies were later sent to their hometowns for burial.