Libyan leadership mourns army chief lost in Ankara plane crash

Libya's senior leadership has officially confirmed the tragic death of its highest-ranking military officer in a plane crash outside the Turkish capital. In a somber statement issued Tuesday evening, Mohamed Menfi, the head of Libya's internationally recognized Presidency Council, mourned Army Chief of Staff General Mohammed al-Haddad and four of his senior aides, declaring their loss a devastating blow to the country's armed forces and its fragile state.

A Statement of Grief and Tribute

Posting on the social media platform X, Chairman Menfi described the deaths as "a grave loss for the Libyan military establishment and for the entire nation." He paid tribute to the fallen officers, stating, "Libya has lost national military leaders who dedicated their lives to serving the country, who bore their responsibilities with utmost integrity in delicate circumstances, and who performed their duty with a high spirit of discipline, commitment and loyalty, placing the interest, security and stability of the nation above all considerations."

The Circumstances of the Tragedy

The fatal incident occurred on Tuesday evening when a Falcon 50 private business jet carrying the Libyan delegation departed from Ankara's Esenboğa Airport en route to Tripoli. Shortly after takeoff, contact with the aircraft was lost. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya later announced that search teams had located the wreckage in a rural area south of the Haymana district, approximately 70 kilometers from Ankara. The cause of the crash is now under investigation by Turkish authorities.

A Blow to National Stability and International Ties

The loss of General al-Haddad represents more than a personal tragedy; it is a significant setback for Libya's Government of National Unity. The general was a key figure in efforts to unify the country's fractured military institutions and was in Türkiye for high-level security consultations, reflecting the close strategic partnership between Ankara and Tripoli. His sudden death creates a major vacuum in the military command structure at a critical juncture for Libya's stability and its relations with its primary international ally, Türkiye.