Turkish vice president celebrates country's role in achieving breakthroughs after major prisoner swap

By Gizem Nisa Cebi

ISTANBUL (AA) – Türkiye has achieved a significant diplomatic milestone with a prisoner exchange conducted in the capital Ankara under the coordination of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), which Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz praised Thursday.

"Thanks to our MIT Presidency’s multilateral diplomacy, the prisoner exchange implemented today in Ankara has been a concrete example of our country’s role in producing solutions," Yilmaz said on X.

The exchange involved 26 people from prisons in the US, Germany, Poland, Norway, Slovenia, Russia and Belarus.

Highlighting Türkiye’s broader efforts, Yilmaz also noted that under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s leadership, the country has been striving to foster global peace and stability amid today’s challenging conditions.

"Our role as a solution-producing country has been strengthened through diplomatic initiatives," he added.

Yilmaz expressed gratitude to Erdogan for guiding the nation’s development in security and stability and congratulated the MIT’s president and his team for their effective coordination in facilitating the exchange.

The MIT on Thursday led a successful prisoner exchange involving seven countries in one of the most extensive swap operations in recent years.

The 26 individuals exchanged were transported to Ankara on seven aircraft — one each from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Russia and two from the US, according to security sources.

Belarus was also involved in the swap.

Ten prisoners, including two children, were transferred to Russia, while 13 were sent to Germany and three to the US.