Ankara’s mediation in the prisoner exchange between Moscow and Washington shows that Türkiye is trusted by both powers, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said.
The August 1 swap was the largest since the Cold War. It saw eight Russian nationals previously held captive in the West return home, in exchange for 16 individuals, including two convicted American spies.
“The exchange operation that took place in Ankara, as we can see, proves that both the US and Russia consider Türkiye a partner that can be trusted,” Fidan said on Monday in Cairo, at a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty.
“The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) coordinated the operation with its American and Russian colleagues from the very beginning,” added Fidan.
Washington has called the exchange “a feat of diplomacy” and thanked the Turkish government for making it possible. The US also thanked Germany, Poland, Slovenia and Norway for giving up imprisoned Russians for the swap.
President Vladimir Putin personally greeted the plane with the returning Russians at Moscow’s Vnukovo-2 airport. At the top of the list was Vadim Krasikov, an intelligence operative convicted in Germany of assassinating a Chechen separatist wanted in Russia for war crimes.
Meanwhile, the US secured the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan, RFE/RL employee Alsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza, among others. Kara-Murza is a dual citizen of Russia and the UK who also has an American green card.
All of the individuals Russia sent to the West received pardons as part of the exchange.