"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday extended his condolences to Libya after the country's delegation was killed in a plane crash while departing Ankara following an official visit. "I pray for mercy from God for the Libyan delegation led by General Muhammad Ali Al-Haddad, Chief of Staff of the Libyan Armed Forces," Erdogan stated during a Justice and Development Party (AK Party provincial branch meeting. "May God bless their souls and grant them paradise," he continued. "I extend my condolences to the brotherly Libyan people, the Libyan Armed Forces, and the government." Erdogan confirmed the launch of an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, noting that relevant ministries will provide updates as information becomes available. The plane reportedly crashed shortly after taking off from Esenboga Airport on Tuesday evening while en route to Tripoli. Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid al-Dbeibah announced the deaths of all those on board - including al-Haddad and four accompanying officials. He described the incident as a 'tragic and painful accident.' Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the aircraft's wreckage was located approximately two kilometres from the village of Ksek Kawak, in the Haymana district near Ankara. In a statement on its official Facebook page, the Libyan embassy in Ankara said a committee from the country's defence and interior ministries had arrived in the Turkish capital on Wednesday to oversee the crash investigation."