ANKARA, Türkiye: Libya’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, was killed in a plane crash on Tuesday shortly after departing Türkiye’s capital following an official visit, authorities in Libya and Türkiye confirmed. Four other senior military officials were also on board the aircraft.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah described the incident as a “tragic and painful loss,” saying Al-Haddad’s death was a major blow to Libya, its military institution, and the Libyan people. He expressed condolences to the families of those killed and the armed forces.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the Dassault Falcon 50 jet took off from Ankara’s Esenboga Airport at 1710 GMT en route to Tripoli. Radio contact was lost at 1752 GMT. The wreckage was later discovered near Kesikkavak village in Ankara’s Haymana district.
According to Yerlikaya, the aircraft had requested an emergency landing while flying over Haymana, but communication could not be restored. All five people on board were killed. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Those who died alongside Al-Haddad included the commander of Libya’s ground forces, the head of the military manufacturing authority, an adviser to the chief of staff, and a photographer from the chief of staff’s office.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said a formal investigation into the crash is under way. Libya’s Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) announced that Prime Minister Dbeibah had instructed the defence minister to send an official delegation to Ankara to follow developments related to the investigation.
GNU State Minister for Political Affairs and Communication Walid Ellafi told local broadcaster Libya Alahrar that the aircraft was a leased Maltese jet. He added that Libyan authorities currently lack full details regarding the plane’s ownership and technical history, which will be examined as part of the inquiry.
Al-Haddad’s visit to Türkiye had been announced earlier by the Turkish defence ministry, which said he held meetings with Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and senior military commanders, reflecting ongoing defence cooperation between Türkiye and Libya’s GNU.
Libya has remained divided since 2014, with the UN-backed GNU governing the west, while eastern Libya is controlled by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan Armed Forces.
Tags: Libya army chief, Mohammed Al-Haddad, Libya plane crash, Türkiye news, Ankara visit, Libyan military, Government of National Unity, Dassault Falcon 50, Tripoli flight, Libya-Türkiye relations
Ankara visit Libya army chief Libya plane crash Libyan military Mohammed Al-Haddad Türkiye news
Last modified: December 24, 2025
