2 yıl önce

Russia, US thank Türkiye for assistance in prisoners' swap

Turkish President Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Putin that Türkiye's role in swap is meaningful in terms of mediation efforts.

Reuters

The Biden administration is "very grateful to Türkiye for allowing the exchange to take place in their country."

Russia and the US have thanked Türkiye for its role in their prisoner swap of US Marine Trevor Reed and Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko.

President Vladimir Putin thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday in a phone call, for its assistance in the prisoner exchange at an airport in Türkiye on Wednesday.

Erdogan told Putin that Türkiye's role in the exchange is not only a sign of prioritising peace, dialogue and cooperation but also meaningful in terms of mediation efforts.

On Wednesday, the United States also appreciated Türkiye's role.

"As we welcome home Trevor Reed, we are grateful to Türkiye for its role in making his safe return possible," Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden's national security advisor, said on Twitter.

"We appreciate our Turkish partners’ assistance on this important matter."

White House spokesperson Jen Psaki reiterated Sullivan's thanks, saying the Biden administration is "very grateful to Türkiye for allowing the exchange to take place in their country."

As we welcome home Trevor Reed, we are grateful to Turkey for its role in making his safe return possible. We appreciate our Turkish partners’ assistance on this important matter.
— Jake Sullivan (@JakeSullivan46) April 27, 2022

Similar to a movie scene

"Trevor quickly told us that the American plane pulled up to the Russian plane, and they walked both prisoners across at the same time like you see in the movies," Joey Reed, Trevor's father, told CNN.

"They were leaving Türkiye, and were in the air when he called us and told us this," he added.

Biden hailed Reed's release "from Russian detention," saying the "negotiations that allowed us to bring Trevor home required difficult decisions that I do not take lightly."

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.

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.