Contact lost with plane carrying Libyan army chief near Ankara, says Turkiye | Aviation news

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Four other passengers on a business flight who requested an emergency landing after takeoff, the Turkish Interior Minister said.

Radio contact was lost with a plane carrying Libyan army chief of staff Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad and four other passengers near the Turkish capital, Ankara, the Turkish Interior Ministry said.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on

He said the plane, which was traveling from Ankara to Tripoli, “requested” an emergency landing while flying over Haymana district “in Ankara province, but no contact was made” afterward.

Flight tracking data showed flights being diverted from Ankara’s Esenboga Airport.

Although authorities did not say whether the plane had crashed, images broadcast by Turkish channels showed a flash of light where the plane reportedly lost radio contact.

There was no immediate comment from Libyan officials.

The Turkish Defense Ministry announced this week the Libyan chief of staff’s visit to Ankara, saying he had met his Turkish counterpart and other military commanders.

Ankara maintains close ties with the United Nations-backed government in Tripoli, to which it provides economic and military support.

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