Photo: BBC
A Libyan military delegation, en route back to Tripoli following defense discussions in Ankara aimed at bolstering bilateral military connections, was involved in a tragic incident. Early Wednesday, Turkish officials retrieved the flight recorders from a private aircraft that went down soon after departing Ankara. The crash claimed the lives of Libya’s chief of staff and four of his associates. Members of the Libyan military delegation were observed at the crash site, located approximately two kilometers south of Kesikkavak Village in Ankara’s Haymana district, where the Libya-bound business jet carrying General Muhammad Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad and his entourage met its end. The Associated Press reported that the private jet, carrying General Mohammed Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, four other high-ranking officers, and three crew members, crashed in Turkey on Tuesday shortly after its departure from Ankara, resulting in the fatalities of all eight individuals on board.
What happened?
Officials reported that a Falcon 50 aircraft experienced an electrical malfunction shortly after taking off, prompting a request for an emergency landing. Tragically, communication with the plane was lost thereafter. Turkish security forces later discovered the aircraft’s remains in the Haymana region, close to the capital city. At the scene of the accident, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya informed journalists that both the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder, often referred to as the “black box,” had been successfully retrieved. He added that the relevant agencies have commenced the analysis and assessment of these crucial devices.
What are the latest updates?
Following discussions with Turkish military officials in Ankara, Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad and four aides were en route back to Tripoli when their aircraft crashed. The plane was carrying eight people, including its three-member crew. Yerlikaya stated that the bodies remained at the scene of the wreckage, and a Libyan delegation of twenty-two had arrived in Ankara. Search teams reported that debris from the crash was dispersed over an area of about three square kilometers, complicating recovery efforts. Meanwhile, Turkish forensic medicine authorities were working to retrieve and identify the remains. The wreckage was discovered near Kesikkavak village in the Haymana district, roughly seventy kilometers south of Ankara.
Search operations stepped up
Intensified search and rescue efforts commenced on Wednesday, following a period of overnight precipitation and reduced visibility due to fog, as reported by the state-controlled Anadolu Agency. The gendarmerie secured the perimeter, while the disaster response organization AFAD established a temporary command post and dispatched specialized equipment to navigate the sodden ground. Governor Yerlikaya stated that 408 Turkish personnel were engaged in the operation, with four public prosecutors appointed to oversee the inquiry. Libyan Prime Minister Dbeibah had previously confirmed fatalities on Tuesday, characterizing the incident as a “devastating mishap” and a “significant bereavement” for Libya via a Facebook announcement. The Libyan administration declared three days of national solemnity, during which state buildings would display flags at half-staff. During his stay in Ankara, Haddad also held discussions with Turkey’s Minister of Defense, Yasar Guler, and other dignitaries.
Why was the delegation’s visit planned?
The arrival of the Libyan delegation occurred one day following the Turkish parliament’s endorsement of a two-year continuation of the deployment of Turkish forces in Libya. These forces were initially stationed there as part of a security and military accord signed in 2019 with the government operating out of Tripoli.
Haddad had held the position of Libya’s chief of general staff since August of 2020, a role to which he was appointed by the prime minister at that time, Fayez al-Sarraj.
Libya continues to be split between a government in Tripoli, acknowledged by the UN and led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a competing authority in the eastern region under the command of Khalifa Haftar.
The nation in North Africa has been fragmented since a revolt, supported by NATO, led to the overthrow and death of long-standing leader Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.
Turkey cultivates strong economic and military connections with the UN-supported administration in Tripoli, characterized by regular high-level interactions between the two entities.
More recently, Ankara has also extended overtures to the administration in the east, evidenced by a meeting between the head of Turkey’s intelligence service, Ibrahim Kalin, and Haftar in Benghazi during August.
