Two Turkish cargo planes stranded in Ukraine due to the closure of airspace because of the Russian invasion arrived in Türkiye on Tuesday.
"Two A400M Turkish aircraft, which landed in Ukraine to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate our citizens, were stranded at Borispol airport due to the closure of the airspace. They have now departed for their home base, Kayseri,” the Defense Ministry said on Twitter.
Türkiye, internationally praised for its unique mediator role between Ukraine and Russia, has repeatedly called on Kyiv and Moscow to end the war through negotiations.
The families of the stranded staff welcomed their loved ones at the air base, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan thanked Ukraine and Russia for ensuring the safe return of the planes and staff. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, who was in Kayseri for an event, also joined the welcome for the returnees. Akar contacted Erdoğan, and the president addressed the returnees via a phone call.
"We are pleased that our personnel and planes that have been waiting for a long time in Ukraine returned. I thank Ukraine and Russia on behalf of my nation. I thank all the personnel who brought our planes back in those difficult times," the president said.
Akar told reporters that they have been in contact with the Ukrainian and Russian sides since the planes were stranded and were told that there were "risks and dangers" that would complicate the return. "After close coordination and the circumstances changed, the planes left immediately," he said. "The war has caused fallout (for others) and we have seen that. We dispatched planes to send humanitarian aid, to evacuate our citizens, but they were stranded when the airspace was closed," he said.
Erdoğan had repeatedly contacted Ukrainian and Russian leaders for the planes' safe return, the minister said. He also thanked the pilots and staff for their efforts to keep the planes maintained and expressed gratitude that they had finally returned home "safe and sound."
