Details of a historic prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine amid the two countries’ conflict reveal how Türkiye was influential in the deal.
Ankara was hailed for its mediation of the conflict that broke out last year, striving to keep its ties intact with both sides. The efforts took a big stride in September 2022 when the two sides exchanged 200 prisoners of war, in Ankara.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had broken the news in the United States where he was attending the United Nations General Assembly.
Among the exchanged prisoners of war were members of Ukraine’s famed Azov battalion, including its commander and his deputy. Russia was reportedly dragging its feet to exchange the members of the battalion while Ukraine detained Viktor Medvedchuk, a former Ukrainian lawmaker and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was accused of high treason.
The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) hosted talks between the sides on a prisoner exchange in the capital Ankara after Russia requested it. Throughout the two sessions of discussions, the sides comprehensively discussed the potential exchange. Yet, when the day of the exchange arrived, Ukraine asked Türkiye to host five officers from the Azov Battalion for a while, citing they were unwilling to bring them back to Ukraine and Russia wanted them not to return to the area of conflict they were stationed at. Turkish authorities accepted the request.
However, another problem arose on the day of the exchange. Russia brought Ukrainian prisoners via a private flight to Ankara Esenboğa Airport for the exchange while Ukraine acted slowly to hand over Medvedchuk at the same time. Ankara reacted sharply to the situation, citing that mutual trust should be established or the two sides should “take the exchange to another country.” Finally, Ukraine bowed to the request and flew Medvedchuk to Ankara, accepting a simultaneous exchange.
Both sides sent experts to the planes of each other and verified the IDs of the prisoners of war, after a three-hour wait at Esenboğa for the arrival of Medvedchuk. The exchange was conducted like a routine arrival of flights and disembarking of passengers.
