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Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a prisoner exchange involving approximately 2,000 people that will be facilitated through Türkiye, according to details revealed by Hurriyet newspaper columnist Hande Firat.
In her recent column, Firat provided behind-the-scenes information about the negotiations held in Istanbul, which marked the first direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in three years.
"I will share with you the behind-the-scenes information about what happened in the Kiev, Moscow, Istanbul triangle," wrote Firat, detailing how the talks came together and the diplomatic breakthrough that resulted.
According to Hurriyet's report, there was no confirmed meeting planned between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations while U.S. President Trump was in the Middle East and NATO foreign ministers were en route to Antalya.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement that "talks could be held in Istanbul" and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Ankara were seen as an opportunity by American officials. When it became clear that a meeting between the leaders would not happen, efforts shifted toward arranging talks between technical delegations.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reportedly told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, "Let's have a trilateral meeting with the Ukrainian delegation while you're in Istanbul, and perhaps we can turn it into a quadrilateral format." However, a four-way format did not materialize due to different agenda items between the Russian delegation and the U.S.
During the negotiations, both sides initially presented their historical perspectives on the conflict. Ukraine requested "a 30 or 60-day ceasefire to be declared first, followed by talks between leaders," while Russia maintained that this would not be a permanent solution and demanded "Ukraine's withdrawal from territories where Russians are the majority."
When the parties reached impasses, the Turkish delegation headed by Foreign Minister Fidan played a facilitating role. Fidan proposed starting with "confidence-building measures" in the form of a prisoner exchange, after which delegation heads left the room to receive approval from their capitals.
The parties agreed to exchange a total of 2,000 prisoners—1,000 from each side—across three categories: civilians, children, and military personnel. Both sides will first identify the names for the exchange.
"The exchange will take place in three categories: civilians, children, and soldiers. The two sides will first determine the names," report claims, noting that both parties requested Türkiye to host the exchange.
For large-scale exchanges involving thousands of people, the report claimed that these normally take place at border crossings, but Türkiye offered to intervene for critical cases.
To continue technical team meetings and find a path to a ceasefire, the negotiators agreed to put their demands and conditions in writing. According to the report, both Russia and Ukraine will draft their ceasefire conditions separately, with the letters either delivered through Türkiye or exchanged directly.
Both parties reportedly agreed in principle to meet again. Hurriyet's report noted that U.S. Secretary of State Rubio told Fidan while leaving Istanbul, "We are confident that the process is in safe hands, and I know that both President Erdogan and you will achieve a concrete result and succeed."
Hurriyet's report also revealed that Turkish and U.S. foreign ministers have begun preparations for a meeting between President Trump and President Erdogan. The message from American officials to Türkiye was reportedly, "We want to plan a visit by President Trump exclusively to Türkiye."
The columnist also touched on Syria-related developments, noting that a meeting between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and U.S. Secretary of State Rubio had initially been planned for Antalya, but President Trump decided to meet with Sharaa personally after speaking with President Erdogan by phone.
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