The black box of the Libyan Chief of Staff's plane has been found in Turkey
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that search and rescue teams had successfully located the black box and voice recorder of the plane that crashed Tuesday evening near the capital Ankara, killing all its passengers, including the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army (Western Region), Lieutenant General Mohammed Al-Haddad, and a number of his military escorts.
In a press statement from the crash site, located approximately 50 kilometers from Ankara, the Turkish minister confirmed: "We have recovered the cockpit voice recorder and the aircraft's black box, and the relevant authorities have immediately begun examining them." He explained that the wreckage was scattered over a wide area of approximately 3 square kilometers, necessitating a massive search and rescue operation involving 408 personnel from the rescue teams, gendarmerie, and police, supported by 103 ground vehicles and 7 aircraft, in addition to drones equipped with thermal imaging technology to comb the rugged terrain.
International investigations and absolute transparency
In a related development, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that the flight data and cockpit voice recorder analysis would be conducted in a "neutral country" after the initial investigations are completed, to ensure maximum transparency and credibility in determining the cause of the crash. The minister pledged to share the findings with the international and Libyan public as soon as they are released, noting that the Falcon-50 aircraft had reported an electrical malfunction and decided to return before disappearing from radar.
Military loss and the effects of the Libyan scene
The death of Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad is a significant event that casts a shadow over the military landscape in Libya. Al-Haddad was a pivotal figure in the military establishment of the Government of National Accord in Tripoli and played a crucial role in the military dialogue aimed at unifying the Libyan army, particularly through his frequent meetings with his counterpart in the eastern region, Abdul Razzaq al-Nadhuri. This incident comes at a sensitive time for Libya, as local and international actors strive to maintain the ceasefire agreement and advance the political process.
The depth of Turkish-Libyan relations
The incident takes on added significance given the close strategic ties between Ankara and Tripoli. Since the signing of the security and military memorandum of understanding in November 2019, Turkey has become the primary military backer of both the former Government of National Accord and the current Government of National Accord. This cooperation includes intensive training programs for Libyan officers and the provision of advanced equipment to the army, including drones, which explains the presence of a high-level military delegation led by al-Haddad on Turkish soil.
Presidential condolences and widespread solidarity
On the political front, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan promptly offered his condolences to Libyan Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibah in a phone call, expressing Turkey's full solidarity with Libya in this tragic event. A high-level Libyan delegation of 22 people, including officials and family members of the victims, arrived in Ankara to oversee the repatriation of the bodies and to monitor the progress of the investigations, reflecting the deep fraternal and official ties between the two countries.
