Turkiye and Libya intensify probe into deadly plane crash near Ankara
DNA testing delays funeral plans as investigators examine the wreckage of jet crash that killed Libyan army chief. Officials from Libya and Turkiye have stepped up coordination over the investigation into a plane crash near Ankara that killed Libya’s army chief and seven other people as forensic work and preparations for repatriating the bodies are conducted. Libya’s Criminal Investigation Department chief, Major General Mahmoud Ashour, led a delegation to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday as part of the joint inquiry. On Tuesday, a private jet carrying Libya’s army chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, reported an electrical malfunction shortly after taking off from Ankara Esenboga Airport. According to Turkiye’s head of communications, Burhanettin Duran, the aircraft, bound for Tripoli, requested an emergency landing 16 minutes after takeoff.
Source:Libya Today
December 25, 2025 18:42 UTC
Turkey vows full investigation into Libyan military plane crash
Turkey has pledged to continue investigations into the crash of a plane carrying Libya’s Chief of General Staff and several senior officers, and to present a full report once inquiries are complete, the Turkish ambassador to Libya has said. Güven Begeç made the remarks during a meeting in Tripoli with Presidential Council head Mohamed Menfi on Thursday. The ambassador conveyed the condolences of Turkey’s leadership to Menfi and the Libyan people over the “tragic incident,” which claimed the lives of the army’s chief of staff, the chief of land forces and a number of their aides. He expressed deep sorrow and solidarity with the families of the victims, wishing them patience and comfort.
Source:Libya Observer
December 25, 2025 18:07 UTC
Turkey begins black box analysis of jet crash that killed Libyan military chief and 7 others
ISTANBUL (AP) — The technical analysis of the recovered black boxes from a jet crash that killed eight people, including western Libya’s military chief, began as the investigation proceeded in cooperation with Libyan authorities, the Turkish Ministry of Defense said Thursday. The private jet with Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, four other military officials and three crew members crashed on Tuesday after taking off from Turkey’s capital, Ankara, killing everyone on board. Libyan officials said the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction on the plane. Other WRAL Top StoriesThe high-level Libyan delegation was on its way back to Tripoli after holding defense talks in Ankara aimed at boosting military cooperation between the two countries. A 22-person delegation, including five family members, arrived from Libya early on Wednesday to assist in the investigation.
Source:Libya Today
December 25, 2025 16:55 UTC
Turkish prosecutors deepen investigation into crash that killed Libyan military chief
Defense Minister Yasar Guler (not seen) receives Libyan Chief of General Staff General Muhammed Ali Al-Haddad during their meeting in Ankara, Türkiye on Dec. 23, 2025. (AA Photo)Turkish authorities announced Wednesday they are deepening their investigation into the crash of a Libyan military aircraft that killed five senior officers, with prosecutors now examining everything from the aircraft's maintenance records to the crew's final hours before takeoff. Search operations continue at the wreckage of the private jet carrying Libyan Chief of General Staff General Mohammed Ali Al-Haddad in Ankara, Dec. 24, 2025. Fuel samples have been collected from both the refueling tanker and the aircraft wreckage to rule out contamination or incorrect fuel type. In addition to Haddad, those killed included Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces Maj. Gen. Al-Faituri Ghraibil, Director of the Military Manufacturing Agency Brig.
Source:Libya Today
December 25, 2025 13:22 UTC
Libyan jet declared emergency over electrical malfunction before crash, says defense ministry
A part of the wreckage of the private jet carrying Libyan Chief of General Staff General Mohammed Ali Al-Haddad, in Ankara, Türkiye, December 24, 2025. (AA Photo)The Falcon-50 aircraft carrying Libyan military officials declared an emergency due to an electrical malfunction before crashing near Ankara on late Tuesday, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense (MoND) said Thursday. A Turkish soldier during search operations around the wreckage of the private jet carrying Libyan Chief of General Staff General Mohammed Ali Al-Haddad, Ankara, Dec. 24, 2025. Rescuers work at the wreckage site of a Libya-bound business jet carrying Libyan Chief of Staff General Muhammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, in Ankara, Türkiye Dec. 24, 2025. An infographic titled "Jet carrying Libyan army chief crashes in Ankara" was created in Ankara, Türkiye, on December 24, 2025.
Source:Libya Today
December 25, 2025 13:22 UTC
Turkey starts examining black boxes from jet crash that killed Libya’s military chief and 7 others
ISTANBUL (AP) — Experts have started analyzing the black boxes recovered from a jet crash in Turkey that killed eight people, including western Libya’s military chief, the Turkish defense ministry said Thursday. Al-Hadad was the top military commander in western Libya and played a crucial role in the ongoing, U.N.-brokered efforts to unify Libya’s military, which has split, much like Libya’s institutions. A 22-person delegation, including five family members of those killed on board, arrived from Libya early on Wednesday to assist in the investigation. The country split, with rival administrations in the east and west, backed by an array of rogue militias and different foreign governments. Turkey has been the main backer of Libya’s government in the west, but has recently taken steps to improve ties with the eastern-based government as well.
Source:Libya Today
December 25, 2025 12:45 UTC
Libya’s dried-up banks: The daily struggle for cash
This is not a temporary disruption but a deepening cash crisis reshaping daily life, where physical money is scarce. The current cash crisis is not new. Long queues outside banks have repeatedly appeared over the past decade as families and businesses struggle to access liquidity. READ: Libya’s Presidency Council mourns army chief, 4 aides after plane crash near AnkaraBeyond diversion and mistrust, Libya’s cash crisis is worsened by a severe shortage of functioning cash-distribution infrastructure. Libya’s cash crisis is sustained not by confusion over its causes but by the lack of accountability for those who benefit.
Source:Libya Today
December 25, 2025 11:06 UTC
‘We hold onto one another and keep fighting’, says wife of jailed Istanbul mayor
Dilek Kaya Imamoglu has stepped into the spotlight while her husband is in jail by attending rallies and meeting the families of his party’s other jailed officials. “It’s an extremely difficult time for our children and for me… but we hold onto one another,” Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, 51, told AFP in her first interview with foreign media. But Dilek Kaya Imamoglu said they have taken strength from her husband’s message “to never lose hope”. Dilek Kaya Imamoglu said the family is allowed weekly visits to see him in Silivri prison, west of Istanbul, where several other leading opponents of Erdogan are also being held. “Frankly, this silence has disappointed us,” Dilek Kaya Imamoglu said.
Source:Libya Today
December 25, 2025 10:22 UTC
Turkish President pledges full support to Libya after crash
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone call with Libyan Presidential Council Chairman Mohammad al-Manfi on Wednesday to formally express his condolences over the fatal plane crash near Ankara. Assurance of ongoing supportIn the conversation, President Erdogan emphasized the strength of bilateral ties between the two nations. He described relations as "extremely strong" and assured Libyan authorities that Türkiye would "continue to provide all necessary support." He noted that recovery operations at the crash site were proceeding without interruption despite challenging conditions. Turkish disaster management agency AFAD established a mobile coordination center at the site, with search efforts continuing through heavy rain and fog to support the ongoing investigation.
Source:Libya Today
December 25, 2025 07:19 UTC
Hammad: Ancestors’ sacrifices oblige us to protect the homeland’s sovereignty and reject international guardianship
Benghazi – The Libyan Government Head, Dr. Oussama Hamad, affirmed this. He issued a statement to the Libyan people. The Head of the Libyan Government said the founding fathers gained independence. In his statement, the Libyan Government Head sharply criticized UNSMIL’s performance. He demanded an end to imposing political paths.
Source:Libya Today
December 25, 2025 05:00 UTC
Turkey recovers black boxes from jet crash that killed top Libyan military officials
The private jet carrying Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, four other military officials and three crew members crashed on Tuesday, after taking off from Turkey's capital, Ankara, killing everyone on board. Libyan officials said that the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction on the plane. Libyan officials arrive to assistA 22-person delegation — including five family members — arrived from Libya early on Wednesday to assist in the investigation, he said. The other military officials who died in the crash were Gen. Al-Fitouri Ghraibil, the head of Libya’s ground forces, Brig. Turkish officials said that the Falcon 50-type business jet took off from Ankara’s Esenboga airport at 8:30 p.m. and that contact was lost around 40 minutes later.
Source:Libya Today
December 25, 2025 04:04 UTC
Libya military chief, 7 others killed in Ankara plane crash
Ankara: A private jet carrying Libya's military chief, four other officers and three crew members crashed on Tuesday after takeoff from Turkey's capital, Ankara, killing everyone on board. Libyan officials said the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction on the plane.
Source:Libya Today
December 25, 2025 03:18 UTC
Libya army chief of staff killed in jet crash near Ankara after fault reported, Turkish official says
Libya army chief of staff killed in jet crash near Ankara after fault reported, Turkish official saysANKARA/TRIPOLI, (Reuters) – A private jet that crashed overnight, killing Libya’s army chief of staff and seven others on board, had reported an electrical fault and requested an emergency landing shortly before contact was lost, a Turkish official said today. Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah called it a “great loss for the nation.”Three crew members were also killed, Turkish officials said. Mohammed Al-Menfi, head of the Tripoli-based Presidential Council, said the deputy chief of staff would assume Haddad’s duties until a new chief is appointed. Haddad, from the coastal city of Misrata some 200 km (124 miles) east of Tripoli, was appointed chief of staff in 2020. Yerlikaya earlier said the aircraft had requested an emergency landing while flying over Haymana, adding that its wreckage was found near Kesikkavak village.
Source:Libya Today
December 25, 2025 01:23 UTC
Shipwreck off Libya: 116 migrants missing, only one survivor. The accusation of the NGOs
X / Sea Watch ItalyBonelli, 116 people left to die in EU hypocrisy"Reports coming in from Alarm Phone speak of 116 people missing in a shipwreck off the coast of Libya. "I share and make my own the words of Alarm Phone: "against the silence and indifference of the authorities, we demand answers. While celebrating Christmas, 116 people die without rescue and in the hypocrisy of Europe'. According to the Sea-Watch NGO 116 people have lost their lives, there is only one survivor. Alarm Phone confirmed the shipwreck.
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2025 23:47 UTC
France in touch with Turkish officials after reports of 3 French crew deaths in Ankara jet crash
Search operations continue at the wreckage of the private jet carrying Libyan Chief of General Staff General Mohammed Ali Al-Haddad in Ankara, Dec. 24, 2025. (AA Photo)The Embassy of France said it has "no confirmation" regarding reports that three French nationals were among eight people killed when a business jet carrying Libyan military officials crashed near Ankara on late Tuesday. "We are in contact with the Turkish authorities," French Embassy officials told Türkiye Today in an exclusive statement. The five passengers included Libyan Chief of Staff Gen. Ali Muhammad al-Haddad, Libyan Land Forces Commander General al-Fitouri Gharibil, and members of their delegation. Wreckage of the private jet carrying Libyan Chief of General Staff General Mohammed Ali Al-Haddad in Ankara, Türkiye on December 24, 2025.
Source:Libya Today
December 24, 2025 23:19 UTC