Türkiye mourns Libyan delegates after crash

Türkiye held a ceremony in the capital Ankara on Saturday before the bodies of members of a Libyan military delegation, including Chief of General Staff Gen. Mohammed Ali Al-Haddad, who were killed in a plane crash, were repatriated to Libya.

A private jet carrying the Libyan military delegation crashed in Ankara on Dec. 23, killing all eight people on board, including five delegation members and three crew.

The ceremony took place at the Murted Air Base Command, where attendees observed a moment of silence, followed by a recitation from the Holy Quran and prayers for the deceased.

After their names were read aloud, the bodies of the Libyan delegation members were transferred to an aircraft and sent to Libya.

The ceremony was attended by Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, Land Forces Commander Gen. Metin Tokel, Naval Forces Commander Adm. Ercument Tatlioglu, Libyan Ambassador to Ankara Mustafa Elgelaib, members of a Libyan military delegation, and families of the victims.

Those killed included Libyan Chief of General Staff Gen. Mohammed Ali Al-Haddad, Libyan Land Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Futuri Gribel, Director of Libyan Military Factories Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Juma El Giteviy, adviser to the Libyan chief of general staff Mohammed Assavi, and photographer Mohammed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub.

Bayraktaroglu later departed for Libya to attend a military ceremony following the repatriation of the bodies.