Turkish media reports that it took place in Ankara operation to exchange 26 Western and Russian prisoners under the coordination of the Turkish intelligence service MIT.
“Our organization has assumed an important intermediary role in this exchange operation, which is the most comprehensive in recent times” MIT said in a statement.
Both the Kremlin and the White House declined to comment when asked about a possible exchange.
According to CNN Turk, it is an exchange of 26 people held in prisons in the USA, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.
How will the exchange take place?
As part of the exchange operation, 10 prisoners, including 2 children, will be transferred to Russia, 13 prisoners will be transferred to Germany and another three will be transferred to the USA.
For the exchange of prisoners, a total of seven planes arrived in Ankara, two from the USA and one each from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Russia.
According to the Turkish media, among the prisoners is:
The Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkowitz prisoner in Russia.
The American Marine Paul Whelana prisoner in the Russian Federation.
The German imprisoned in Belarus, Rico Krieger.
The Russian dissident Ilia Yasin.
The officer of the Russian FSB intelligence service Vadim Krasikovimprisoned in Germany.
The RIA news agency also reported that four Russians imprisoned in the United States “disappeared” from the inmate database used by the US Federal Bureau of Prisons.
He named them as Alexander Vinik, Maxim Marchenko, Vadim Kanosionok and Vladislav Klyusin.
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