Sat Dec 27 08:57:52 UTC 2025: News Article:
Turkey Honors Fallen Libyan Officials in Military Ceremony
Ankara, Turkey – A solemn military ceremony was held on Sunday at the Murted airbase near Ankara to honor a group of Libyan officials, including military chief Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, who tragically perished in a plane crash over Turkish territory earlier this week.
The ceremony was attended by Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and military chief Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, who paid their respects to al-Haddad and the four other Libyan military officers who were en route for high-level defense talks in Turkey.
The plane carrying the delegation crashed shortly after takeoff from Ankara on Tuesday, reportedly due to a technical malfunction, resulting in the deaths of all on board, including the three crew members.
Al-Haddad was a central figure in UN-brokered efforts to unify Libya’s divided armed forces and his loss has been widely mourned across the country.
Following the ceremony, five coffins draped in Libyan national flags were loaded onto a plane for repatriation to Libya, with Turkish military chief Bayraktaroglu also on board, according to TRT.
Libya has been embroiled in chaos since the 2011 uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, resulting in rival administrations in the east and west, supported by various militias and foreign powers. Turkey has historically backed the western government but has recently sought to improve relations with the eastern administration.
Analysts suggest that replacing al-Haddad, a respected figure who chaired a UN-backed truce committee, will be a significant challenge for the Western government.
First Piper 