Investigators have found no initial links to terrorism or foreign intelligence in the crash of a private jet that killed the Libyan chief of general staff and seven others last month, local media said on Jan. 15.
The chief prosecutor’s office in Ankara is leading an expansive probe into the Dec. 23 crash near the Haymana district, which claimed the lives of Gen. Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al Haddad, four members of his entourage and three crew members.
Authorities questioned the crew members who had staffed the delegation's arrival flight to Ankara. Reports said background checks on these individuals, including a South Cypriot national, have so far yielded no evidence of affiliation with terrorist organizations or foreign espionage agencies.
The investigation has now turned to high-tech forensics and international cooperation to determine the cause of the disaster. The aircraft’s flight data recorder has been sent to London for specialized analysis.
Simultaneously, Türkiye's Scientific and Technological Research Council (TÜBİTAK) is conducting an examination of crash footage. Experts are evaluating the plane’s speed and angle of descent while searching for any signs of a mid-air explosion or external interference.
A technical team of pilots is also reviewing all radio communications between the aircraft and the control tower.
The prosecutor’s office has formally requested documentation from Libyan authorities regarding the company that leased the aircraft, including the leasing history, records of all periodic maintenance and parts replacements and the names of technicians who performed the final safety checks before takeoff.
The move comes as Turkish officials complete the identification process of the victims through DNA profiling. Authorities said the final report from TÜBİTAK will be added to the official investigation file once the digital analysis is complete.
