Turkish president conveys condolences to Libya’s Presidential Council chairman over deadly jet crash

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday extended his condolences to Libya's Presidential Council Chairman Mohammad al-Manfi in a phone call over the plane crash that claimed the lives of the Libyan chief of General Staff and accompanying officials, according to the Communications Directorate.

Erdoğan conveyed his condolences to the Presidential Council of Libya over the death of Libya's Chief of General Staff Gen. Mohamed Ali Al-Haddad and accompanying officials in the crash, a statement by the directorate said.

The president noted that recovery and investigation efforts at the crash site were "continuing without interruption."

Emphasizing the strength of bilateral ties, Erdoğan said: "Relations between our two friendly and fraternal countries remain extremely strong," and assured that Ankara would "continue to provide all necessary support to Libya."

On Tuesday, the Falcon 50-type business jet crashed after taking off from Ankara's Esenboga Airport en route to Tripoli, the Libyan capital.

The plane was found about 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) south of Kesikkavak in the Turkish capital Ankara's Haymana district.

Search operations continued through the night despite heavy rain and fog, and officials are monitoring efforts from a mobile coordination center set up by Türkiye's disaster management agency AFAD.