• Libyan army chief and four others killed in a plane crash in Turkey.
• Turkish Interior Minister confirms wreckage found near Kesikkavak village.
• Investigation launched to determine the crash's cause.

Libya's army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, and four military officials were tragically killed when their Falcon 50 business jet crashed shortly after taking off from Ankara's Esenboga Airport en route to Tripoli. The plane lost contact around 40 minutes after departure, reportedly due to a technical malfunction, and wreckage was later found near the village of Kesikkavak, approximately 70 kilometers south of Ankara, according to SCMP, AA, and Channel News Asia.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah expressed deep sorrow over the incident, describing it as a “tragic loss” for Libya and emphasizing that the delegation was returning from high-level defense talks aimed at strengthening military cooperation with Turkey. The Libyan government declared three days of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast at state institutions as reported by India Times, Africanews, and Al Jazeera.

Turkish authorities have initiated a thorough investigation into the crash, with Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirming that the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, or “black boxes,” have been recovered for examination. The investigation's findings are expected to provide crucial insights into the crash, which occurred amidst reported electrical failures in the aircraft, according to AA, CBS News, and Los Angeles Times.

In response to the tragedy, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reached out to his Libyan counterpart, extending condolences and emphasizing the importance of the ties between their nations. Erdogan assured ongoing support as recovery and investigation efforts continue at the crash site, which was affected by challenging weather conditions, as per sources from AA and AA.