Wreckage of jet carrying Libya's top general found near Ankara

The wreckage of a private jet carrying Libya's highest-ranking military officer has been located in a rural area south of Ankara, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Tuesday. The Falcon 50 business jet, which was en route to the Libyan capital of Tripoli from Ankara's Esenboğa Airport, went missing after transmitting an emergency signal shortly after takeoff. On board was General Mohamed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, the Chief of the General Staff for Libya's Government of National Unity, along with four other passengers.

The Search and Discovery in Haymana District

Interior Minister Yerlikaya provided a timeline of the incident, stating the aircraft departed at 8:10 p.m. local time (1710 GMT). Approximately 42 minutes later, at 8:52 p.m. (1752 GMT), air traffic control lost all communication with the jet, tail number 9H-DFJ. The plane had issued an emergency landing notification in the vicinity of Haymana, a district approximately 70 kilometers south of Ankara. Gendarmerie search and rescue teams subsequently found the wreckage about two kilometers south of Kesikkavak village within the Haymana district.

The Significance of the Passenger

The presence of General Al-Haddad on the flight marks this as a significant international incident with potential geopolitical ramifications. The general had been in Türkiye for high-level military and security consultations. Just the day prior, he had held meetings with Turkish National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu in Ankara, underscoring the close strategic partnership between Türkiye and Libya's Tripoli-based government. His travel was part of ongoing coordination efforts between the two allied nations.

Ongoing Investigation and Immediate Aftermath

Following the discovery of the wreckage, a major investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash. Aviation authorities, gendarmerie criminal teams, and forensic experts have been dispatched to the remote site. The focus will be on recovering flight data recorders and examining the debris field. No information has been released regarding the condition of the passengers, and the Libyan government has yet to issue an official statement. The incident casts a shadow over the critical military-diplomatic channel between Ankara and Tripoli at a sensitive time for regional security.