Turkey’s Justice Ministry announced the appointment of four prosecutors, coordinated by a deputy chief prosecutor, to investigate the plane crash that killed senior Libyan military commanders, including Libyan Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Mohamed Ali Ahmed al Hadad. According to the official statement, the investigation is being carried out comprehensively to clarify the reasons and circumstances of the accident that occurred after the plane took off from Ankara towards Tripoli, the above-mentioned media reported.
The Prime Minister of Libya’s unity government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibé, explained the identity of the deceased in his profile on the social network Facebook. In addition to Al Hadad, the victims included the Chief of the General Staff of the Land Forces, Al Fituri Ghraibil; the director of the Military Production Authority, Mahmoud al Qatawi; the army chief’s adviser, Mohamed al Asawi Diab; and press office photographer Mohamed Omar Ahmed Mahyub. According to media reports, the Prime Minister expressed his condolences to the families and highlighted the service the victims rendered to their country. The official message described the tragedy as a loss for the nation and the armed institutions.
The Turkish government had previously reported the loss of contact with the plane, noting that the plane left Ankara at 8:10 p.m. (local time) with five people on board. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the device made an emergency landing request near Haymana, southwest of Ankara, with no way to restore communications after that notification. According to the media, the last transmission of the flight was recorded at 8:52 p.m. (local time).
Shortly afterwards, Turkish security forces found the remains of the plane two kilometers south of the town of Kesikkavak, near the point where contact was lost, according to Yerlikaya himself. The Interior Minister did not provide any information about the causes of the accident, citing the complexity of the investigation and the coordination between Turkish and Libyan authorities to clarify the matter.
Meanwhile, General Khalifa Haftar, associated with the government based in eastern Libya, also expressed his condolences and underlined Al Hadad’s commitment and responsibility in his military functions at critical periods in the country. According to the Libyan news agency LANA, Haftar praised the soldier’s commitment to putting national interests first in times of political and military tension.
Regarding the political context, the media detailed that Libya remained divided between two governments following the postponement of the presidential elections in December 2021. The House of Representatives, based in the east of the country, ended Abdul Hamid Dbeibé’s mandate, although the unity prime minister ignored the measure and remained in office. The air accident comes at a time of institutional tension, exacerbating the existing political and military situation between opposing authorities in Tripoli and Benghazi.
On social media, both Libyan and Turkish officials expressed their condolences and announced that investigations were continuing. The Turkish Justice Minister’s message published on the social network X reiterated efforts to clarify all aspects related to the incident. According to media, the cooperation of both countries also includes the review of flight safety procedures and the involvement of forensic and technical experts in the analysis of the remains of the aircraft and the flight path before the accident.
Prime Minister Dbeibé, in addition to his institutional statements, is coordinating with family members and military units the repatriation of the bodies and the celebration of the funeral ceremonies in Tripoli. The media reported that the incident caused regret among members of the Libyan Armed Forces and revived internal discussions about the security and mobility of military officials in conflict zones. A preliminary report on the incident is expected to be released once the initial phases of the investigation are completed, including statements from air traffic controllers and a technical analysis of information collected at the scene of the accident.
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