General Mohamed al-Haddad and senior military officials killed after their private jet crashes in Turkey‘s Haymana district during a severe storm, plunging Libya into mourning.
ANKARA — A private jet carrying the Chief of the General Staff of the Libyan Army, Lieutenant General Mohamed al-Haddad, crashed late Tuesday night in a rural area south of Ankara, killing everyone on board. The wreckage was located by Turkish gendarmerie forces early Wednesday morning near the village of Kesikkavak in the Haymana district, following an intense search-and-rescue operation hampered by heavy rain and fog.
The Crash Site
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the discovery of the debris, stating that contact with the Dassault Falcon 50 jet was lost at approximately 18:00 local time, shortly after it took off from Esenboğa Airport bound for Tripoli. According to the Ministry of Transport, the pilot had issued a distress call reporting a “critical electrical failure” just minutes before the aircraft disappeared from radar.
“The site is difficult to access due to muddy terrain,” Yerlikaya told reporters at the scene. “Regrettably, there are no survivors. We have recovered the bodies of General al-Haddad, four of his senior aides, and the three-person flight crew.”
A Diplomatic Mission Ends in Tragedy
General al-Haddad had been in Ankara for high-level defense talks aimed at strengthening military cooperation between Libya and Turkey. His delegation played a crucial role in the ongoing unification process of the Libyan armed forces. The sudden loss of such a pivotal figure on foreign soil adds a layer of diplomatic complexity to the tragedy.
Ankara has launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident. The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has assigned four prosecutors to the case to rule out sabotage, although preliminary findings point to technical malfunction exacerbated by adverse weather conditions.
Libya Declares Mourning
In Tripoli, the Government of National Unity has declared three days of national mourning. Flags across the country have been lowered to half-mast. Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah described al-Haddad as “a martyr of duty who died working for the stability of his nation.”
Defense analysts warn that al-Haddad‘s death leaves a significant void in Western Libya‘s security architecture. As the primary interlocutor with the Eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar, his absence could stall the fragile peace negotiations facilitated by the UN and Turkey.