A private jet carrying Libya’s Chief of Staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, crashed in Turkey on Tuesday shortly after departing from ankara, prompting a temporary closure of the city’s airspace. the Falcon 50 aircraft was headed to tripoli when contact was lost, raising immediate concerns given Libya’s ongoing political instability and the key role Al-Haddad held in the contry’s armed forces. Turkish authorities have confirmed the crash and are working to recover wreckage near Haymana, while Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeiba has announced Al-Haddad’s death.
- Contact with a private jet over Turkey has been lost.
- On board was reportedly the Chief of Staff of the Libyan army, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, and four other people.
- The plane took off from Ankara. It was en route to Tripoli.
A private jet carrying the Libyan army’s Chief of Staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, and four others has crashed in Turkey, officials confirmed Tuesday. The incident, which occurred shortly after takeoff from Ankara, raises concerns about instability in the region and the ongoing political divisions within Libya.
The Falcon 50 aircraft was traveling to the Libyan capital, Tripoli, when communication was lost, according to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Contact with the plane was severed at 17:52 GMT, approximately 12 minutes after departing Ankara’s airport.
CNN Türk reported that wreckage has been located near Haymana. Turkish authorities have temporarily closed the airspace over Ankara following the incident. Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeiba has since confirmed the death of the Chief of Staff.
Prior to the loss of contact, the crew requested permission to make an emergency landing in the Haymana district south of Ankara, Yerlikaya stated. There was no further communication from the aircraft after that request.
Libyan media reports indicate that, in addition to General Al-Haddad, his advisor and other high-ranking military officials were on board. These individuals are affiliated with the government of Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbaiba, based in Tripoli, which operates in opposition to a rival government in eastern Libya. Turkey is a key ally of the Tripoli-based government. Libya has been fractured by two opposing administrations vying for power and control of resources since 2014.
The visit by the Libyan Chief of Staff to Turkey had been previously announced by the Turkish Defense Ministry. Al-Haddad was scheduled to hold meetings with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler, his counterpart Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, and other military representatives.
Update follows …
