site.btaTurkiye's Intelligence Organization Coordinates Major International Prisoner Swap

Turkiye's National Intelligence Organization, MIT, coordinated the most comprehensive prisoner swap operation of recent times in Ankara on Thursday, the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications told BTA.

The exchange involved 26 detainees and seven countries: US, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia, and Belarus.

As part of the operation, the prisoners were transported to Turkiye by seven aircraft, including two from the US and one each from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Russia.

Ten prisoners, including two minors, were relocated to Russia. Thirteen detainees were transferred to Germany, and three to the US. Among them were Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich and ex-US Marine Paul Whelan, who were imprisoned in Russia. German national Rico Krieger, imprisoned in Belarus, Russian dissident Ilya Yashin, former high-ranking FSB colonel Vadim Krasikov, jailed in Germany.