Turkish authorities have recovered both the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder from the wreckage of a private jet that crashed near Ankara, killing Libya’s chief of general staff and others on board, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
Speaking to reporters early Wednesday, Yerlikaya said the devices were found during overnight operations at the crash site. The cockpit voice recorder was recovered at about 2:45 a.m. local time, followed by the flight data recorder around 3:20 a.m. Technical teams have already begun analyzing the data to determine the cause of the crash.
Yerlikaya noted that the debris field covers roughly three square kilometers, highlighting the force of the impact. More than 400 personnel, supported by over 100 ground vehicles and seven aircraft, are involved in search, recovery, and investigative efforts.
He also confirmed that a 22-member Libyan delegation—including relatives of the victims and officials from Libya’s defense and interior ministries—has arrived in Ankara to coordinate with Turkish authorities.
The minister stressed that the cause of the crash remains unknown and said the recovered data will be key to understanding what happened. Findings will be shared as the investigation progresses. He offered condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the Libyan government and people, calling the incident a tragic accident.
The Falcon 50 business jet had departed Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport en route to Tripoli when it crashed in the Haymana district south of the capital. Gendarmerie teams later located the wreckage near Kesikkavak village.
Following the deaths, Libya’s Government of National Unity declared three days of national mourning in honor of the victims.
