A jet carrying Libya's chief of staff, General Muhammed Ali Ahmed, and four others crashed after departing Ankara today, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced.
The Falcon 50 type aircraft, with tail number 9H-DFJ, departed from Ankara Esenboğa Airport at 8.10 pm local time (GMT+3) en route to Tripoli. Communication with the jet was severed at 8.52 pm local time (GMT+3).
Minister Yerlikaya stated that the aircraft issued an emergency notification before disappearing from radar. "An emergency landing notification was received from the aircraft in the vicinity of Haymana; however, contact could not be re-established with the plane afterward," the minister said.
The minister provided an update at 11.08 pm, stating that the aircraft was found near Kesikköy village in the Haymana district.
There were five passengers on board, including General Al-Haddad, who had been in the capital for official meetings with Turkish military officials earlier that day.
Following the incident, search and rescue teams were dispatched to the Haymana district, located approximately 75 kilometers south of Ankara. Authorities have also implemented temporary flight diversions at Esenboğa Airport as emergency protocols remain in effect.
"The public will be informed of further developments," the minister added.
Turkish and Libyan officials are reportedly coordinating efforts to determine the status of the aircraft and its passengers. (AEK/VK)
