The August 1 major exchange of prisoners between Russia and the US and allies was conducted on the tarmac at Ankara Airport under the coordination of the Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT).

"Our organisation has undertaken a major mediation role in this exchange operation, which is the most comprehensive of the recent period," the intelligence agency said in a statement.

In further comments, MIT said it “conducted the most extensive prisoner exchange operation of recent times,” exchanging 26 different people held in seven different countries: the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.

“The prisoner exchange encompassed the exchange of significant figures that have been sought by all parties for a long period,” MIT said, naming five, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US marine Paul Whelan who were both jailed in Russia.

DW reported that Vadim Krasikov, identified by German officials as a colonel in Russia’s FSB intelligence service, who was serving a life sentence in Germany for the 2019 murder of a Kremlin opponent in a Berlin park, was among those flown to Ankara for the exchange.

Analysts said the involvement of Turkey in a possible exchange was signalled last week when Ibrahim Kalin, the head of MIT, reportedly met his Russian counterpart in Ankara.

Seven aircraft carried the 26 individuals to Turkey, MIT also said. Two flew from the US, and one each from Russia, Germany, Poland, Slovenia and Norway in the operation.

The process saw prisoners taken off each aircraft and then moved by MIT to secure locations. They then underwent health checks as part of a checklist drawn up to ensure each part of the swap deal met ratification requirements. Afterwards, they were placed back on planes to head to their respective destinations.

“Ten prisoners, including two minors, were relocated to Russia, thirteen prisoners to Germany, and three prisoners to the United States,” MIT said. “This operation has been recorded in history as the most extensive prisoner exchange between the United States, Russia, and Germany in recent years.”

US President Joe Biden said the exchange deal was made possible thanks to a “feat of diplomacy and friendship”. He thanked Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Turkey for their assistance in bringing the deal together.

Added Biden: "This deal would not have been made possible without our allies, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Turkey. They all stepped up and they stood with us and they made bold and brave decisions; Released prisoners being held in their countries, who were justifiably being held, and provided logistical support to get the Americans home."     

"So for anyone who questions whether allies matter; They do; They matter. And today's a powerful example of why it's vital to have friends in this world. Friends you can trust, work with, and depend upon. Our alliances make our people safer."

“Not since the Cold War has there been a similar number of individuals exchanged in this way, and there has never, so far as we know, been an exchange involving so many countries,” US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said. “It’s the culmination of many rounds of complex, painstaking negotiations.”