Ankara, December 27, 2025 – The Europe Today: Türkiye held a solemn ceremony in the capital Ankara on Saturday for the members of a Libyan military delegation, including Chief of General Staff Gen. Mohammed Ali Al-Haddad, who were killed in a plane crash earlier this week.
A private jet carrying the delegation crashed in Ankara on December 23, claiming the lives of all eight people on board, including five delegation members and three crew members.
The ceremony took place at Murted Air Base Command, where attendees observed a moment of silence, followed by a recitation from the Holy Quran and prayers for the deceased. After the names of the victims were read aloud, the bodies of the Libyan delegation members were transferred to an aircraft and sent to Libya.
The event was attended by Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, Land Forces Commander Gen. Metin Tokel, Naval Forces Commander Adm. Ercument Tatlioglu, Libyan Ambassador to Ankara Mustafa Elgelaib, members of the Libyan military delegation, and families of the victims.
Those killed included:
- Libyan Chief of General Staff Gen. Mohammed Ali Al-Haddad
- Libyan Land Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Futuri Gribel
- Director of Libyan Military Factories Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Juma El Giteviy
- Adviser to the Libyan Chief of General Staff Mohammed Assavi
- Photographer Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub
Following the ceremony, Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu departed for Libya to attend a military ceremony marking the repatriation of the bodies.
The tragedy has prompted condolences from officials in both Türkiye and Libya, reflecting the strong military and diplomatic ties between the two countries.
