Libya's army chief of staff, Major General Mohammed al-Haddad, and four senior military officials died when their Falcon 50 business jet crashed south of Ankara on Tuesday evening, Libyan and Turkish authorities confirmed.
Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said gendarmerie teams located the wreckage near Kesikkavak village in Haymana district after the aircraft lost contact at 8:52 p.m. local time. The jet had departed from Esenboga Airport at 8:10 p.m., bound for Tripoli, and issued an emergency landing notification shortly before disappearing from radar.
Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah expressed his condolences and said officials will uncover every detail to honor the memory of those lost.
Earlier on Tuesday, al-Haddad held high-level talks in Ankara with Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of the General Staff Selcuk Bayraktaroglu to boost defense cooperation between Libya and Türkiye.
Local media reported that Ankara's main airport briefly suspended flights after the crash but resumed normal operations soon after. Anadolu Agency footage showed a bright flash at the moment of impact and debris scattered across the crash site.
General al-Haddad was widely regarded as a driving force behind Libya's military restructuring and efforts to stabilize the country after years of conflict. His loss marks a significant setback for Libya's security sector and ongoing reforms.
Analysts warn that this tragedy could slow the pace of defense collaborations that both NATO allies and African Union members Libya and Türkiye have pursued this year, particularly in border security and counterterrorism.
Turkish and Libyan authorities are coordinating the investigation and preparations for repatriation, while military units in Libya have been placed on alert to maintain continuity of command.
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Libya's army chief of staff and four others killed in plane crash
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