TRIPOLI, Libya/ISTANBUL

Türkiye's Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu met on Saturday Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah in Tripoli to condole the death of the country's army chief in a plane crash near Ankara this week.

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

Those killed were 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.

At the meeting, according to a statement by Libya's Government of National Unity, Bayraktaroglu expressed sorrow over the incident and offered Türkiye's condolences.

Bayraktaroglu also appreciated Al-Haddad for the development of Libyan military institutions and the role he played in strengthening military and security cooperation between Libya and Türkiye.

Dbeibah appreciated Bayraktaroglu's gesture as a sincere expression of the depth of bilateral ties.

Cooperation between Libya and Türkiye will continue in various fields, particularly in supporting institution building and developing military and security capabilities, as part of mutual agreements, he added.

Bayraktaroglu also met Mohamed Menfi, the head of Libya's Presidency Council. He stressed Ankara's full solidarity with the Libyan people, and affirmed that military cooperation and coordination will continue.

Guven Begec, Türkiye's ambassador to Libya, was present in both the meetings.