Turkey played a pivotal role in a major prisoner swap on Thursday, facilitating the release of 26 individuals, including US reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan, from Russia, Belarus, and five Western countries. The exchange was announced by the Turkish presidency, highlighting its significance as one of the most extensive prisoner exchanges between the United States, Russia, and Germany in recent years.
Gershkovich, who was sentenced by a Russian court to 16 years in prison for espionage just days prior, was among those freed in Ankara. The US reporter’s arrest in March 2023 while on a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg sparked international concern, with authorities alleging, without evidence, that he was gathering classified information for the US.
In exchange for the release of Gershkovich and Whelan, 10 Russians were handed over to Moscow. Among them was Ilya Yashin, a Russian opposition politician who was imprisoned for criticizing Russia’s war in Ukraine. Thirteen of the detainees freed by Russia were sent to Germany, while three were repatriated to the United States.
The prisoner exchange involved a coordinated effort with all involved parties. Seven aircraft, including two from the United States and one each from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Russia, transported the prisoners to Turkey. The Turkish statement emphasized that all the prisoners were safely disembarked and placed under the supervision of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT).
President Joe Biden, who has made the release of wrongfully detained Americans abroad a central focus of his foreign policy agenda, welcomed the news of the prisoner swap. He described it as a triumph of democracy and underscored the administration’s commitment to bringing home Americans unjustly held overseas.
