Libya was devastated on Tuesday, Dec 23 2025 when its army chief of staff Lieutenant General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, as well as several senior military officials and crew members was tragically killed when their plane crash near Ankara, Turkey took place shortly after they departed Ankara’s Esenboga Airport en route to Tripoli enroute for Tripoli. Authorities confirmed this loss confirming it occurred shortly after taking off from Ankara’s Esenboga Airport towards Tripoli
General al-Haddad was one of eight people killed when their Dassault Falcon 50 business jet crashed in Haymana district south of Ankara.
Turkish officials reported that shortly after takeoff, an aircraft reported an electrical fault and requested an emergency landing; however, radio contact was lost before it could return to the airport, and eventually it crashed near Kesikkavak village.
Wikipedia The victims included five Libyan officials – al-Haddad and four senior military aides- as well as three Turkish crew members, according to Libyan sources. These included Libya’s ground forces commander, director of military manufacturing authority directorate directorate officer advisor to army chief, photographer for military photographer. AP News
Official responses and mourning rites.
Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah expressed great sorrow over the death, calling it a great blow for both his nation and armed forces. To mark this loss he announced a three-day period of national mourning and sent government representatives to Ankara so they may coordinate with Turkish authorities and investigate what caused its crash.
Ali Yerlikaya of Turkey’s Interior Ministry confirmed the recovery of both flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder which are critical in understanding the cause of the accident. Turkish rescue and recovery teams worked through challenging weather conditions to retrieve both recorders from the crash site on Wednesday.
Reuters
Al-Haddad played an essential and lasting role.
General Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad was born in Misrata and served as Libya’s army chief of staff since 2020, playing an instrumental role in attempts to unify Libya’s fractured military factions following years of civil unrest in 2011-2020. Many regarded him as a unifying figure who worked hard to strengthen GNU military structure while engaging with international partners, such as Turkeyiye for defence cooperation agreements.
Prior to his crash, al-Haddad had been in Ankara participating in high-level discussions with Turkish military officials aimed at expanding bilateral military cooperation based on growing strategic ties between their armed forces. Daily Sabah
Libya continues to experience political division and security threats as its various factions remain divided between western forces controlled by GNU and eastern forces affiliated with Khalifa Haftar. His death could have far-reaching repercussions both domestically and on Libya’s security dynamics as new leadership must step in for national reconciliation efforts and defense coordination efforts. From Wikipedia
Investigate and determine next steps of investigation
Turkish investigators are working alongside Libyan counterparts to ascertain the cause of the crash; initial reports point to technical malfunction aboard Falcon 50 jet. With both flight recorders now retrieved, steps are being taken toward understanding what led up to tragedy.
Libya’s government has pledged its respects to al-Haddad and his fellow victims, promising continued efforts towards stabilization and unity – missions which al-Haddad had championed throughout his life.