The Libyan delegation was in Ankara for high-level protection talks geared toward boosting navy cooperation between the 2 international locations, Turkish officers stated.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the demise of Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad and the 4 officers, saying in an announcement on Fb that the “tragic accident” happened because the delegation was returning dwelling. The prime minister referred to as it a “nice loss” for Libya.
Al-Hadad was the highest navy commander in western Libya and performed a vital position within the ongoing, U.N.-brokered efforts to unify Libya’s navy, which has break up, very similar to Libya’s establishments.
The 4 different officers who died within the crash have been Gen. Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, the pinnacle of Libya’s floor forces, Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Al-Qatawi, who led the navy manufacturing authority, Mohammed Al-Asawi Diab, advisor to the chief of employees, and Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub, a navy photographer with the chief of employees’s workplace.
The identities of the three crew members weren’t instantly recognized.
Turkish officers stated the wreckage of the Falcon 50 sort enterprise jet had been discovered close to the village of Kesikkavak, in Haymana, a district some 70 kilometers (about 43.5 miles) south of Ankara.Earlier on Tuesday night, Turkey’s air site visitors controllers stated they misplaced contact with the airplane, which was en route again to Libya, after takeoff from Ankara’s Esenboga airport.
Turkish Inside Minister Ali Yerlikaya, stated in a social media submit that the airplane took off at 8:30 p.m. and that contact was misplaced 40 minutes later. The airplane issued an emergency touchdown sign close to Haymana earlier than all communication ceased, Yerlikaya stated.
Burhanettin Duran, the pinnacle of Turkish presidential communications workplace, stated the airplane notified air site visitors management of {an electrical} fault and requested an emergency touchdown. The plane was redirected again to Esenboga the place preparations for its touchdown started.
The airplane nonetheless, disappeared from the radar whereas descending for the emergency touchdown, Duran stated.
Safety digicam footage aired on native tv stations confirmed the evening sky over Haymana all of a sudden lit up by what gave the impression to be an explosion.
Whereas in Ankara, al-Haddad had met with Turkish Protection Minister Yasar Guler and different officers.
The airport in Ankara was briefly closed and a number of other flights have been diverted to different areas. Turkey’s Justice Ministry stated 4 prosecutors have been assigned to analyze the crash, as is widespread in such incidents.
In accordance with a authorities assertion on Fb, Libya will ship a workforce to Ankara to work with Turkish authorities on investigating the crash.
Libya plunged into chaos after the nation’s 2011 rebellion toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The nation break up, with rival administrations primarily based within the east and west, backed by an array of rogue militias and international governments.
Turkey has been allied with Libya’s authorities within the west, however has just lately taken steps to enhance ties with the eastern-based authorities as effectively.
Tuesday’s go to by the Libyan delegation got here a day after Turkey’s parliament accepted to increase the mandate of Turkish troops serving in Libya for 2 years. Turkey deployed troops following a 2019 safety and navy cooperation settlement that was reached between Ankara and the Tripoli-based authorities.
