Cermak and Markac arrived aboard a Croatia Airlines flight from Amsterdam at 1310 hours. They were met by families, friends, fellow fighters, their attorneys and numerous journalists.
An hour after arrival they left Pleso airport in separate cars, escorted by police.
Markac's attorney Miroslav Separovic said he was pleased with the decision of the Hague tribunal's Appeals Chamber to grant provisional release.
"It turned out that we were right when we claimed from the start that all terms for the provisional release were met. The Appeals Chamber accepted all the documents we submitted, stating that the (fugitive Ante) Gotovina case is a delicate issue but no reason to turn down the Croatian Government's guarantees (for the provisional release of Markac and Cermak)".
Asked when the trial might start, Separovic said there were no indications at the moment but that he hoped in one to two years.
Asked about the prospects of the trial being referred to Croatia, he said it was too early to talk about that.
Markac's other attorney, Goran Mikulicic, said the general's health had improved but that he would continue undergoing treatment in Zagreb.
Asked about the ban on communication between Cermak and Markac while on provisional release, Separovic said "that's odd considering that in the detention unit they communicated all the time, but this is the Appeals Chamber's decision and it must be honoured".