Ankara (TDI): Turkish authorities have recovered the flight data and voice recorders from a private jet that crashed shortly after takeoff near Ankara, killing the head of Libya’s armed forces and four of his aides.
The Falcon 50 aircraft, carrying eight passengers including three crew members, had requested an emergency landing due to an electrical failure just minutes after departing Ankara while returning to Tripoli, according to Turkish officials. Contact with the plane was lost soon after.
The wreckage was located in the Haymana district by Turkish security personnel. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the recovery of the black box and voice recorder, stating that authorities have begun the process of examining and evaluating the devices.
Lt. Gen. Mohammed Al-Haddad, Libya’s chief of general staff since August 2020, and his four aides had been in Ankara for talks with Turkish military officials. The bodies remain at the crash site, while a 22-member Libyan delegation has arrived in Turkiye.
Read More: Libyan Army Chief Killed in Plane Crash in Turkiye
Libya has been divided since the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that toppled longtime leader Muammar Qaddafi. The country is split between a UN-recognized government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and the eastern administration commanded by Khalifa Haftar.
Read More: Libyan Military Chief Visits GHQ, PM House Amid Growing Security Ties
Turkiye maintains close ties with the Tripoli government, providing both economic and military support, and officials from both sides have engaged in frequent visits. Ankara has also recently reached out to Haftar’s administration, with Turkiye’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin meeting Haftar in Benghazi in August.
