Military ceremony honors top Libyan officials killed in plane crash in Turkey

International Desk: PNN

A special military ceremony was held near Murted Airport, close to Ankara, Turkey, on Sunday to honor Libya’s top military official Mohammad Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad and four other high-ranking officers who died in a plane crash in Turkish airspace on Tuesday.

At the time of the crash, the officials were in Turkey for high-level defense discussions. Turkish Chief of Defense Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu and Defense Minister Yaşar Güler attended the ceremony. The bodies of the Libyan officials will be repatriated for a state funeral in Libya.

The plane crashed shortly after departing Ankara on Tuesday. According to Libyan officials, the crash was caused by a technical malfunction, killing all onboard, including three crew members.

Mohammad Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad was Libya’s highest-ranking military officer and played a key role in UN-mediated efforts to unify Libya’s divided forces. His death prompted nationwide condolences, including from rival factions.

The head of Libya’s rival administration in the eastern region, Khalifa Haftar, also expressed his grief, extending condolences to Al-Haddad’s family, tribe, city, and the “entire Libyan population.”

Following the ceremony in Turkey, the bodies of the five officials were returned in coffins draped with the Libyan national flag. Turkish military chief Bayraktaroğlu accompanied the flight carrying the coffins.

Since the 2011 uprising in Libya and the fall and death of long-term leader Muammar Gaddafi, the country has been unstable. It remains divided, with separate administrations in the west and east and various rebel militias supported by foreign powers.

Experts noted that replacing a respected figure like Al-Haddad will be “extremely difficult” for Libya’s western government. He also served as the head of the UN-backed peace committee.