UPDATE - Russia thanks Turkiye for assistance in Russian prisoner's release from US

UPDATE - Russia thanks Turkiye for assistance in Russian prisoner's release from US

Turkish president told Russian counterpart that Turkiye's role in swap is meaningful in terms of mediation efforts

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - Russia on Thursday thanked Turkiye for its role in the release of Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian detainee in the US for 20-years.

In a phone call, President Vladimir Putin thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for assistance in the prisoner swap of US Marine Trevor Reed and Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko at an airport in Turkiye on Wednesday under the coordination and supervision of Turkish National Intelligence Organization.

During the call with Putin, Erdogan highlighted the significance of Turkiye's mediation in the swap in terms of symbolizing the importance the country attaches to peace, dialogue and cooperation as well as of its mediation mission, according to a statement by the Turkish Communications Directorate.

Noting the key role of Turkish intelligence during the swap, Erdogan stated that the coordination and close dialogue between intelligence units should be maintained, and that doing so would contribute to preventing humanitarian tragedies and establishing a climate of stability in the region.

Yaroshenko was arrested in Liberia in 2010 on drug smuggling charges and extradited to the US, where he was serving a 20-year prison term.

Meanwhile, Reed was detained in Russia in 2019 after being apprehended on charges of attacking police officers in Moscow. He was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison.

Turkish president also reiterated that Turkiye's stood ready to take initiative to put an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, and to mediate on the path towards peace.

Erdogan further voiced desire to restore lasting peace in the region as soon as possible by boosting the momentum achieved at the Istanbul talks.

Talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul on March 29 were seen as a breakthrough in the push to halt the hostilities that began on Feb. 24.

After the meeting, a Ukrainian negotiator said Kyiv wants Turkiye among the countries that will be guarantors in any deal with Moscow.

Turkiye this March also brought together the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in its southern resort city of Antalya, the first meeting of senior government officials from the two sides since the start of the war, now over two months old.

As Erdogan and Putin addressed the latest developments with regard to the war in Ukraine during the call, Turkish leader underscored that Turkiye would "determinedly and sincerely continue its efforts to overcome the crisis between its two neighbors and to restore peace."

Furthermore, according to sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity both Russia and the US had made request to Turkiye for the mutual extradition of prisoners.

The prisoners swap, which was a subject of long-term negotiations between Moscow and Washington, took place in line with the approval of Turkish Erdogan.

Such mediation efforts of Turkiye is not a first as the country's intelligence organization previously rescued an Italian nurse, Silvia Constanzo Romano, who was kidnapped in Kenya and taken to Somalia in 2018. Romano was rescued by Turkish intelligence units in 2020 and was handed over to the Italian authorities.

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