The head of the Libyan army was killed in a plane crash in Turkey. What the media is writing

In Turkey, the chief of staff of the Libyan army, Muhammad al-Haddad, was killed in a plane crash. He was in Ankara on a state visit and held talks with the Turkish military leadership. Al-Haddad was engaged in uniting the Libyan army in a divided country. What the world media write about the general's death is in the Izvestia digest.

Reuters: the head of the Libyan army was killed in a plane crash in Turkey

The chief of Staff of the Libyan army, Muhammad al-Haddad, died on December 23 in a plane crash after taking off from the Turkish capital Ankara. This was announced by the Prime Minister of the internationally recognized government of Libya, Abdelhamid Dbeiba, adding that four more people were on board the plane.

The commander of the Libyan ground forces, the director of the Military Production Directorate, the adviser to the Chief of Staff and a photographer from the office of the Chief of Staff were also on board the plane. The plane took off from Esenboga Airport in Ankara at 20:10 (Moscow time) and headed for Tripoli, radio contact was lost at 20:52. The Turkish authorities found the wreckage of the plane near the village of Kesikkavak in the Hayman district of Ankara.

The New York Times: the deceased general held the highest post in the Libyan armed forces

General Al-Haddad held the highest post in the Libyan armed forces under the internationally recognized Government, the Government of National Unity, in Tripoli. Appointed in 2020, he led the organization and unification of the Libyan army under the auspices of official state institutions.

The chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohammed Menfi, said that the death of soldiers represents a significant loss for the Libyan army and for the country as a whole. Menfi added that the victims devoted their lives to serving the country and put Libya's stability and interests above all else. The Government of National Unity of Libya has declared three days of mourning in memory of those killed in the plane crash.

The Guardian: Al-Haddad held a meeting with the Turkish military leadership

The Turkish Defense Ministry reported on al-Haddad's visit, saying that he met with Turkish Defense Minister Yashar Guler and his Turkish counterpart Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, as well as with other Turkish military leaders. The plane crash occurred the day after the Turkish parliament decided to extend the mandate for the deployment of Turkish soldiers in Libya for another two years.

In 2022, Ankara and Tripoli also signed a preliminary agreement on energy exploration, which Egypt and Greece oppose. However, Turkey has recently changed course within the framework of its "United Libya" policy, stepping up contacts with the eastern faction of Libya.

Spare airfield: the West reported about Russia's plans to gain a foothold in southern Libya

It is speculated that the former Jamahiriya could replace Syria for Moscow

Al Jazeera: preliminary investigation of the disaster ruled out sabotage

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said a black box had been found from the plane carrying General al-Haddad. Turkish officials said a preliminary investigation had ruled out the possibility of sabotage and pointed to a technical malfunction as the cause of the disaster.

Yerlikaya added that a Dassault Falcon 50 aircraft requested an emergency landing over Hayman Island, after which communication with it was interrupted. The head of the Turkish President's press service, Burhanettin Duran, said that the plane notified the control service of an electrical malfunction and requested an emergency landing. The plane was redirected back to Esenboga, where preparations for landing began. However, the plane disappeared from radar during the descent. Surveillance footage shows how the night sky over Haimana suddenly lit up with something similar to an explosion.