International investigation after plane crash near Ankara

Turkish authorities have formally requested Germany’s help to read flight recorders after a plane crash near Ankara, as investigators work to establish what happened in the minutes after takeoff. The incident killed Libya’s army chief of staff under the U.N.-recognized Government of National Unity, Lt. Gen. Mohamed al-Haddad, and others traveling with him, according to reporting by Reuters and AP.

Plane crash near Ankara: Germany asked to help read the black box

Germany’s Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) said it received a request from Turkish authorities on whether it can assist in reading the recorders, in a statement reported by Agence France-Presse.

The BFU said it contacted Turkey’s investigation body and requested photographs of the recorders to confirm whether they are readable. If that is confirmed, the devices would be transported to Germany for data extraction and then returned to the Turkish side, which would retain responsibility for analyzing the findings.

Turkish officials have said the aircraft reported an electrical problem shortly after departure and requested an emergency landing before contact was lost, according to Reuters. Turkey later said the flight data and cockpit voice recorders were recovered from fields near the crash site.

Turkey has also indicated the investigation would involve a “neutral country,” with Germany among the countries discussed, according to France 24 reporting based on wire coverage. Separately, Libya’s Foreign Ministry said the United Kingdom was also asked to support the technical process, according to The Star.

Aviation investigations typically follow the framework set out in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Annex 13, which provides guidance for cooperation between states on evidence handling and technical support.

Turkey’s transport safety investigation structure is administered under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure via the Transport Safety Investigation Center, which is responsible for independent safety investigations across transport modes.