In addition to Mr. Gershkovich, the prisoners freed by Russia included Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine arrested in 2018, and the Russian dissident Ilya Yashin, the official said.
The prisoners freed by the West included Vadim Krasikov, a convicted Russian assassin, the Turkish official said.
The deal seemed sure to prompt jubilation among Western nations that had condemned the charges against Mr. Gershkovich and others as baseless and politically motivated.
And it represented a political leap for Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, whose government agreed to release Mr. Krasikov as part of the deal.
Mr. Putin has referred to Mr. Krasikov as a patriot for his killing of a Chechen former separatist fighter in Berlin in 2019.
Persons:
Anton TroianovskiMark Mazzetti, Evan Gershkovich, Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Ilya Yashin, Vadim Krasikov, Biden, Vladimir V, Putin, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Krasikov, Ivan Nechepurenko
Organizations:
Street Journal, U.S . Marine, West, Turkish
Locations:
Turkey, Russia, Russian, Ankara, U.S, Chechen, Berlin