ANKARA, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye's intelligence agency on Thursday coordinated a prisoner exchange operation in the capital Ankara, which involved the exchange of 26 individuals from the prisons of seven different countries, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported.
The hostages of the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia, and Belarus were transferred to Türkiye by seven planes, including two from the United States and one each from Germany, Poland, Norway, Slovenia, and Russia, the agency reported.
Ten out of all the hostages, including two children, were reportedly transferred to Russia, 13 hostages to Germany, and three to the United States, it said.
It has been the most comprehensive prisoner exchange operation between the United States, Russia and Germany in recent years, and the establishment of dialogue channels for the operation was ensured by the Turkish intelligence, Anadolu quoted anonymous security sources as saying.
The parties were brought together in Türkiye in July as part of the efforts conducted by the Turkish intelligence agency, it said, adding that negotiations were held for the prisoner exchange. ■