HAYMANA,Türkiye – The head of Libya’s armed forces,Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad,and four other high-ranking military officials died late Tuesday,December 23,in a plane crash shortly after takeoff from Ankara,according to officials in both Türkiye and Libya. The tragic incident raises questions about stability in the divided North African nation.
Military Leaders Lost in turkish Jet Crash
The deaths of key Libyan military figures come amid ongoing political complexities in the region.
- Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad, the Libyan army’s chief of general staff, was among those killed.
- the Falcon 50 aircraft crashed in the Haymana district near Ankara, Türkiye.
- Turkish authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, citing a possible electrical failure.
- Libya remains divided between the UN-recognized government in Tripoli and the administration in the east.
Türkiye’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the crash on X, stating that the private jet, belonging to Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, and was en route back to Tripoli. Yerlikaya reported via X that the jet departed from Ankara’s Esenboga airport at 8:10 p.m. local time (Wednesday, 1:10 a.m. Singapore time), and “contact was lost” 42 minutes later.
The aircraft transmitted an emergency landing notification near Haymana – 74km from Ankara – but dialog could not be re-established, according to the minister.A senior Turkish official revealed that the plane requested an emergency landing due to an electrical failure 16 minutes after takeoff.
Burhanettin Duran, head of the presidency’s communications directorate, explained on X that the jet, carrying eight passengers – including Haddad, four members of his entourage, and three crew – “reported an emergency to the air traffic control center due to an electrical failure, asking for an emergency landing.”
turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced that the Ankara chief prosecutor’s office has initiated an investigation into the incident.
“Like a Bomb”
Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion near the crash site. Several Turkish media outlets showed images of the sky illuminated by the blast. Burhan Cicek,a local resident of Haymana,described the event,stating,”I heard a big sound of explosion. It was like a bomb.”
Libya’s ambassador to ankara was present at the crash site. Walid Ellafi, Libyan minister of state for communication and political affairs, told Libya al-Ahrar television channel that Turkish authorities promptly informed his government after contact with the aircraft was lost. “We received a call from the Turkish authorities promptly after the incident, reporting that contact with the aircraft had been lost,” he said.
“All contact with the aircraft was lost about half an hour after takeoff from Ankara airport due to a technical problem,” Ellafi continued. “We are awaiting the conclusions of the Turkish investigation,and it seems the plane crashed.”
In addition to Haddad,those on board included Haddad’s advisor,Mohammed Al-Assawi,as well as Major General Al-Fitouri Ghraibil,Major General Mohammed Jumaa,and their escort,Mohammed Al-Mahjoub.
Haddad had served as the army’s chief of general staff since August 2020, having been appointed by then-prime minister Fayez al-sarraj. Libya remains divided between the UN-recognized government in Tripoli, lead by dbeibah, and the administration of Commander Khalifa Haftar in the east.
The North African nation has been fractured since the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that led to the overthrow and death of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. Türkiye maintains close ties with the UN-backed government in Tripoli, providing both economic and military support, and frequent visits occur between officials from both countries. However, Ankara has also recently engaged with the rival administration in the east, with the head of Türkiye’s intelligence agency, Ibrahim Kalin, meeting with Haftar in Benghazi in August.
