American journalist Evan Gershkovich released in massive prisoner swap between Russia and the West, Turkish presidency announces

Turkey has coordinated in Ankara an exchange of twenty-six prisoners between Russia and several Western countries, including American journalist Evan Gershkovich, the Turkish presidency announced on Thursday, August 1.

“MIT [services de renseignement turcs] conducted in Ankara the largest prisoner exchange operation in recent times, which involved the exchange of 26 people from prisons in seven different countries (USA, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus)”, The Turkish presidency announced in a statement, specifying that seven planes participated in the transport of the prisoners.

Paul Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia since late 2018, has also been released after more than five years of waiting for the outcome of tough negotiations between Moscow and Washington. The 54-year-old former Marine Corps non-commissioned officer was one of the prisoners released by Russia on Thursday as part of a major exchange with the West in Ankara, according to the Turkish presidency.