Türkiye’s role in returning of Ukrainian prisoners of war - Ambassador's insights
Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Türkiye (Getty Images)
Türkiye remains an active mediator in the issue of releasing prisoners of war or hostages. Ankara acts through its Ombudsman, Şeref Malkoç, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Türkiye, Vasyl Bodnar, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, stated.
Bodnar explained that the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has established a department for mediation in the full-scale war in Ukraine.
Specifically, there is a multi-level dialogue regarding releasing prisoners and hostages. The key negotiations are between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as well as between the heads of the Office of the President, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, and the MFA, and their Turkish counterparts.
The appointment of Andriy Sybiha as head of Ukraine's MFA, who served as the Ambassador of Ukraine to Türkiye from 2016 to 2021, also plays a role.
"He (ed.-The Minister) understands the priorities of the strategic partnership between Ukraine and Türkiye, the realities of Turkish politics, and the importance of deepening our cooperation," Bodnar added.
Regarding prisoners of war, Türkiye also acts on the level of the Ombudsman. For example, at the end of March, Malkoç visited Ukraine. He met with the families of our prisoners of war and visited the places where Russian prisoners of war are held.
"In July, the families of the Azovstal defenders visited Türkiye and met with Mr. Malkoç. He remains in dialogue with the Russian side, coordinating the terms and conditions of his visit to Russia to meet with our prisoners of war and resolve issues of their return," explained the Ambassador.
Return of prisoners of war
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine and Russia have regularly conducted exchanges of prisoners of war and hostages. As of today, 57 exchanges have already taken place, allowing 3,672 Ukrainians to return home.
The latest exchange took place on September 14, during which Ukraine returned another 103 Ukrainians.
