Turkey greets Ukraine prisoner exchange

ANKARA Turkey on Friday welcomed a prisoner exchange between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists in the country’s east. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said: “We welcome the prisoner exchange involving about 300 individuals, in line with the efforts aimed at putting an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.” Turkey’s comments follow an exchange of prisoners on Wednesday. Eastern Ukraine has been wracked by conflict since March 2014. The Minsk agreement signed in February 2015 has had little effect on the fighting, which has claimed more than 10,000 lives, according to the UN. The Foreign Ministry added its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.