Turkey Says Private Jet Carrying Libyan Army Chief Missing in Turkish Airspace
Turkey said a jet carrying Libya’s army chief lost contact after an emergency landing request near Ankara. Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh ordered a crisis cell to coordinate with Turkey as investigations continue.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Turkey’s interior minister said a private aircraft carrying Libya’s chief of staff and four other passengers went missing in Turkish airspace after losing contact with air traffic control while in route from Ankara to Tripoli.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in an official statement that the aircraft, a Falcon 50 jet with registration number 9H-DFJ, departed Ankara’s Esenboga Airport at 8:10 p.m. local time on Tuesday, heading to the Libyan capital. He said communication with the aircraft was lost at 8:52 p.m.
According to Yerlikaya, the jet sent an emergency landing request shortly after takeoff before contact was cut with control centers. He said the last signal from the aircraft was received near the Haymana area, where the pilot had issued an alert requesting an emergency landing. No further communication has been established since.
The aircraft was carrying five passengers, including Lt. Gen. Mohammed Ali Ahmed Haddad, chief of staff of the Libyan armed forces.
Yerlikaya said relevant teams are carrying out intensive investigations and search efforts in the area where the last signal was detected, stressing that authorities will inform the public of any new developments.
Libyan media reported the first official reaction from Tripoli following the incident. Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh ordered the formation of a crisis cell to coordinate with the Turkish side regarding the crash of the aircraft carrying Haddad in Ankara.
According to the reports, the private jet crashed shortly after taking off from the Turkish capital, prompting the suspension of all flights and the temporary closure of airspace over Ankara Esenboga Airport.
The reports said Haddad had arrived in Ankara earlier on Tuesday following an official invitation from the Turkish General Staff. His visit included official meetings, among them talks with Turkish Minister of National Defense Yasar Guler, as well as other engagements scheduled as part of the visit program.
Libyan media also confirmed that the aircraft had sent an emergency landing request near the Haymana area before contact was lost.
As search and investigation operations continue in central Turkey, authorities in Ankara and Tripoli say coordination remains underway to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the fate of the aircraft and its passengers.