The Libyan capital, Tripoli, fell into deep mourning today as it received the remains of the victims of the Falcon 50 aircraft crash in Turkey, led by the Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ali Al-Haddad. A solemn military procession took place at the airport, where fallen officers were accorded full military honours before being transported for their final farewell.
A formal memorial service was held at the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff headquarters, attended by the country’s top political and military leadership. The ceremony was attended by a high-level Turkish delegation led by the Chief of the General Staff, General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu (Selçuk Oğlo), as well as Malta’s Minister for Home Affairs and Security, Byron Camilleri, and the Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, Brigadier Clinton O’Neill, alongside various foreign military attachés.
Addressing the mourners, the President of the Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Menfi, described the tragedy as a “national catastrophe” that resonates far beyond the grieving families, calling for national unity to build a state governed by the rule of law. Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah praised Al-Haddad and his companions as “true statesmen” defined by their professional discipline. Dbeibah further noted that investigations into the crash remain ongoing in full coordination with international authorities.
The service concluded with tributes to the victims’ national service and their pivotal roles in strengthening the army and safeguarding Libya’s sovereignty.
