Türkiye-hosted talks paved way for major prisoner swap: Sources

ANKARA

Two pivotal meetings held in Istanbul and Ankara have laid the groundwork for a major prisoner swap between the United States, Russia and other countries, according to security sources.

The earlier meetings, involving representatives from all relevant countries, were crucial in coordinating the exchange of 26 individuals at Esenboğa Airport in Ankara, the sources told Turkish media.

The discussions ensured that the operation, later executed by MİT on Aug. 1, ran smoothly. The exchange involved seven aircraft from the U.S., Russia, Germany, Poland, Slovenia and Norway.

Fifteen days before the exchange, MİT chief İbrahim Kalın and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held a phone call where the latter conveyed U.S. President Joe Biden's request for the swap to start at 5 p.m. Turkish time to accommodate the time difference, the sources said.

Both the U.S. and Russia chose Türkiye for the swap due to MİT's "disciplined working style," they added.