Türkiye coordinates historic Russia-US prisoner swap in Ankara


Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) is coordinating a historic prisoner swap between Russia and the United States, likely including U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich, the agency said Thursday.

“A (prisoner) exchange operation will take place today under the coordination of our organization,” MIT said in a statement. “Our organization has undertaken a major mediation role in this exchange operation, which is the most comprehensive of the recent period.”

A Russian government plane landed in Ankara on Thursday, a Reuters witness said, shortly after MIT’s announcement.

It was not clear who was on board the plane, which arrived following signs of a major prisoner exchange involving Russia and Belarus on one side and the United States, Germany and Slovenia on the other.

Next to Gershkovich, Moscow might also return Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan. Both had been convicted of espionage charges that the U.S. government considered baseless.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.


You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.



Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Address
Enable Notifications OK No thanks