A private jet carrying senior Libyan military officials has crashed southwest of Ankara after requesting an emergency landing shortly after takeoff, Turkish authorities have confirmed.
The Dassault Falcon 50 aircraft went down late Tuesday after losing contact with ground control around 40 minutes after departing Ankara’s Esenboga Airport.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the jet had five people on board, including Libya’s Chief of General Staff, General Muhammad Ali Ahmed al-Haddad. “Before communications were lost, the aircraft requested an emergency landing,” he said, adding that emergency teams later located the wreckage, confirming the crash.
Footage circulating online appeared to show a large explosion lighting up the sky near the Turkish capital, though officials have not confirmed whether the blast occurred in mid-air or upon impact with the ground.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh said in a social media statement that several senior officers were killed in the crash, including Lieutenant General Al-Futuri Ghribil, Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces, and Brigadier General Mahmoud Al-Ghadiwi, head of the Military Manufacturing Authority.
“This grievous loss is a great blow to the nation, to the military institution, and to all the Libyan people,” Dbeibeh wrote, praising the victims for their service, dedication, and national commitment.
Son Dakika!
Libya Genelkurmay Başkanı Orgeneral Muhammed Ali Al-Haddad’ı taşıyan uçak Ankara’da düştü.
Ali Haddad, Milli Savunma Bakanı Yaşar Güler ile görüşmek için Türkiye’de bulunuyordu.
İsrail ve Yunanistan dün ittifaklarını ilan ettiler. Aynı zamanda Libya tezkeresini… pic.twitter.com/vNwACt2ytK
— Politikalojik 🇹🇷͜͜͡͡✯ (@Politikalojik) December 23, 2025
It’s no accident, rather a targeted assassination(s).