Turkiye holds military ceremony for Libyan army chief killed in crash

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and military chief Selcuk Bayraktaroglu attended a ceremony at Murted airbase near Ankara on Sunday to honor Libyan officials who were killed in a plane crash earlier this week. The ceremony was held for Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad, Libya’s highest-ranking military officer, and four other military officers who were in Turkey for high-level defense talks before the crash on Tuesday.

Al-Haddad, a key figure in the United Nations-brokered efforts to unify Libya’s divided armed forces, died along with three crew members and other passengers. The aircraft experienced a technical malfunction shortly after taking off from Ankara. Turkish officials confirmed that all those on board were killed.

The remains of the Libyan officials will be transported back home for an official funeral. Defense Minister Yasar Guler and military chief Selcuk Bayraktaroglu attended the ceremony, which was also in attendance by other high-ranking officials. The aircraft carrying the Libyan delegation crashed due to a technical issue.

Libyan officials have expressed condolences from both rival factions, including Khalifa Haftar, head of eastern Libya’s administration. In a statement, Haftar extended sympathies to al-Haddad’s family, tribe, and city, as well as “to all the Libyan people”. The crash has further highlighted the challenges facing Libya, which has been plagued by instability since its 2011 uprising toppled longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Turkish officials have maintained their support for Libya’s government in the west while also improving ties with the eastern-based administration. The loss of al-Haddad is expected to be difficult for Libya’s Western government to fill, as he had chaired a United Nations-backed truce committee.

Source: Al Jazeera