The crash of the private jet carrying the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Armed Forces near Haymana, Ankara yesterday has triggered intense debate over whether Turkey is facing a serious security failure. The death of a foreign country’s Chief of Staff in another state due to an aviation incident is not an ordinary occurrence; such losses rarely appear in the history of international diplomacy and security. In the incident, Libyan Chief of Staff Mohammed Ali al-Haddad, the Commander of the Land Forces, and three others lost their lives.
Al-Haddad’s death is recorded as the second major tragedy in a short period involving the loss of very high-level figures. In May 2024, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was also killed in a helicopter crash under somewhat similar circumstances. In Raisi’s case, however, the advanced age of the helicopter and severe weather conditions significantly weakened the likelihood of external interference. In contrast, the aircraft carrying al-Haddad was neither old nor operating under risky weather conditions. On the contrary, such jets are commonly referred to as “flying tanks” and are considered among the most secure aircraft preferred by top-level officials.
That this tragedy occurred immediately after a series of dramatic incidents — including multiple drones entering Turkish airspace in recent days and the crash of an Azerbaijani C-130 cargo aircraft in Georgia last November that killed 20 soldiers — inevitably raises a critical question:
Did the plane go down due to a technical malfunction, or was there external interference?
The possibility of intervention by Russia, which is currently experiencing diplomatic tensions with Turkey, cannot be dismissed — especially given the ease with which drones have recently penetrated Turkish airspace. Russia also stands on the opposite side of Turkey in Libya, where it actively supports Haftar’s forces.
Although Turkey has maintained channels of communication with the Haftar camp in recent months, the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity operates largely under Ankara’s strategic umbrella. Al-Haddad had emerged as a key figure in efforts to consolidate pro-Tripoli militias under a single command and build a modern national army.
Tensions between Turkey and Russia extend well beyond this incident. Ankara’s attempts to return the S-400 air defense systems, the targeting of Turkish vessels in the Black Sea, and the reduction of Turkish crude oil imports from Russia all illustrate the depth of the current strain in relations.
Al-Haddad had served as a strategic bridge in establishing military cooperation between Turkey and Libya. He had visited Turkey in January 2025 for high-level talks and strongly supported Turkey’s military and diplomatic initiatives in Libya. After Turkey’s decisive intervention against Haftar’s forces in November 2019 in support of the Government of National Unity, al-Haddad played an active role in unifying militias under centralized command. He returned to Turkey in October 2020, assuming critical responsibilities in coordinating the process.
Turkey currently maintains three military bases in Libya: Vatiyya, Misrata, and Tripoli’s Mitiga. Turkish naval forces also periodically patrol Libyan waters.
Al-Haddad’s visit occurred just after Turkey had extended the mandate of its military presence in Libya by an additional two years.
Through its military presence in Libya, Turkey seeks to strengthen its position in disputes over exclusive economic zones in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly against Greece and Cyprus. This posture has also reinforced Ankara’s articulation of the “Blue Homeland” doctrine.
In response to Turkey’s moves in Syria and Libya, Greece and Cyprus have aligned with Israel in an effort to establish a counterbalancing regional bloc. On Monday, the leaders of the three countries met in Jerusalem, sending a coordinated message of unity against Turkey.
If this incident proves not to be an accident but the result of external intervention, Turkey may soon face an extremely difficult period — particularly in its relations with Russia.
