20,000 people chose to be part of the Kyiv Independent community — thank you.

Skip to content
Edit post

Erdogan: Return of Azovstal defenders now "a positive" in relations with Russia

by Abbey Fenbert July 13, 2023 1:28 AM 2 min read
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey at a press conference at the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 12, 2023. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a press conference that the decision to return the Azovstal defenders to Ukraine did not harm Turkey's relationship with Russia, journalists from European Pravda reported.

The officers, captured by Russian forces while defending the Azovstal steelworks plant in Mariupol, were offered asylum in Turkey after Ukraine and Russia reached a prisoner exchange deal in September.

Erdogan addressed the issue at a press conference following the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 12. According to Erdogan, Turkey agreed to allow the officers to return to Ukraine at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"When we received this request, we handed over these commanders," Erdogan said.

Under the original conditions of the exchange deal, the Azovstal commanders were expected to remain in Turkey until the end of the war. Russian officials claimed that their transfer to Ukraine violated this agreement.

Erdogan said, however, that the move has not damaged relations with Moscow.

"At first, Russia was outraged, and then it turned into a positive thing," Erdogan told reporters.

He said that he expects to discuss the matter at a meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in September.

The Azovstal defenders were granted asylum in Turkey in exchange for the release of 55 unnamed Russian officers.  On July 8, the five commanders returned to Ukraine on a plane with President Zelensky.

Yermak: 45 Azovstal defenders return home from Russian captivity
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak reported on May 6 that 45 Ukrainian prisoners of war had returned home from Russian captivity as part of a prisoner exchange.

Independent journalism needs a community —
not a paywall.

We’re working hard to show the world the truth of Russia’s brutal war — and we’re keeping it free for everyone, because reliable information should be available to all.

More than 20,000 people chose to stand behind us. We’re deeply grateful and overwhelmed with your support. Thank you for making it possible.

Let´s see how far we can go?

News Feed

8:42 PM

Egyptian POW didn't need money, but went to fight for Russia.

Egyptian-born Russian fighter, callsign "Cobra," signed a contract with the Russian army in 2024, abandoning his young wife, university studies and comfortable lifestyle. Now in Ukrainian prison, he's rethinking his choices. Subscribe to our channel for more independent reporting from Ukraine.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.