"There have been deaths and injuries," Yildirim told journalists in the western province in Izmir, adding that 15 people had been onboard.
"Five deaths and perhaps more."
CNN-Turk earlier reported that the Sikorsky S-70 crashed in bad weather at around 1430 GMT in Alucra, a mountainous area of Giresun, which lies on the Black Sea.
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A brigadier general was among the passengers, the channel said, adding that the cause of the crash was not immediately known.
It added that the passengers included several other officers as well as civilians and three children - relatives of soldiers.
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