The deaths of Libya’s military chief and his delegation in a plane crash near Ankara on Tuesday evening prompted an investigation by Turkish authorities.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has revealed details of its investigation into the crash. The investigation is being conducted by four prosecutors under the coordination of a deputy chief prosecutor. Authorities secured the crash site with a security perimeter and placed it under protection.
A private jet carrying Libyan Chief of General Staff Gen. Mohammed al-Haddad and four other people crashed after takeoff from Ankara. The jet lost all radio contact after issuing an emergency landing alert near the Haymana district south of Ankara, Turkish officials said. Al-Haddad and other officials were leaving for Tripoli after a Tuesday meeting with the Turkish defense minister and commanders. The bodies of victims were scheduled to be sent to Libya after a formal ceremony at a military base in Ankara later on Thursday.
All wreckage, including the flight data recorder, considered the most critical piece of evidence, has been taken into custody. Autopsies and toxicology tests are being conducted to determine the exact causes of death of the crew members killed in the crash. Procedures for the bodies are continuing at the Ankara Forensic Medicine Institute.
Prosecutors are also examining the pilots’ activities prior to the crash. Investigators are reviewing every detail, including the crew’s sleep patterns, meals, alcohol or medication use, and psychological condition.
The prosecutor’s office requested reports from technical experts to determine whether the aircraft was airworthy. The responsibility and any possible negligence of personnel who performed the aircraft’s most recent maintenance are also under scrutiny.
As part of the investigation, authorities seized airport security camera footage and included all radio communications between the control tower and the aircraft in the case file. Technical examinations will also be added to determine whether the spare parts installed during maintenance met the required standards.
To assess the possibility of fuel contamination or improper fuel use, samples were taken from both the fuel tanker and the aircraft wreckage. Local weather reports from the time of the crash were also requested.
Officials said that if the investigation determines the crash was caused by a structural failure or design flaw, the scope of responsibility will be expanded.
People on either side of the divide cutting through Libya grieved on Wednesday for the victims.
"It will be hard to find a man of his calibre," Nasreddine al-Maghribi told Agence France-Presse (AFP) at a cafe in Libyan capital Tripoli. Al-Haddad "enjoyed great popularity in the east and west of the country, and we had hoped that he would play a key role in the leadership of a united Libyan army," said Maghribi, who is in his 60s. Libya has been divided since a NATO-backed revolt toppled and killed longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Al-Haddad had been the army's chief of general staff since August 2020. In Tripoli, the seat of the internationally recognized Government of National Unity (GNU), celebrations to mark Libya's independence day were canceled. Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah heads the GNU in the west, while Khalifa Haftar's administration runs the east. Both Dbeibah and Haftar have declared a three-day mourning period in the areas they control. Civil society activist Nouri Ben Othman described al-Haddad as "an emblematic figure for our nation."
"He was not just a military leader, but also a symbol who shouldered the responsibility of unifying the institution of the military, and who worked towards a national reconciliation," he told AFP. "The loss of such a figure is a loss for the nation."
The U.N. mission to Libya, UNSMIL, also paid tribute to al-Haddad, describing him in a post on X as "a steadfast advocate for the unification of Libya's military and civilian institutions, peace and stability for a strong Libya."
"He was a professional officer who put national interests first and a patriot who loved his country," the mission added. Until a successor is selected, al-Haddad's deputy, Gen. Salaheddine al-Namroush, will stand in for him, according to the presidential council.
Türkiye and Libya have maintained close relations, especially after the fall of the Gadhafi regime. In 2019, the two countries signed a landmark maritime jurisdiction, expanding their cooperation in the Mediterranean Sea, to the chagrin of Greece and some other regional countries seeking influence in the same area.
Most recently, Türkiye also started establishing contacts with Haftar in a rare outreach to the commander. Shortly before the crash, the Turkish Parliament had approved a 24-month extension to the deployment of Turkish troops in the North African country.
“It is worrying and meaningful that this crash happened at a time when Türkiye and Libya elevated their sincere, close dialogue and engaged in defending their mutual rights and interests in cooperation,” Devlet Bahçeli, head of government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), wrote in a social media post on Wednesday.
