Issue of visa-free entry raised at Putin’s talks with Erdogan - Kremlin spokesman

SOCHI, November 13. /TASS/. Visa issues were raised at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s talks with his visiting Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. "The visa issue, indeed, was raised and these, so to say, concerns of the Turkish side are being reckoned with, work on them continues," he said. In the 1990s-2000s, Russian citizens enjoyed a simplified visa issuance procedure for travels to Turkey. The entry visa could be bought at the border. Turkish citizens however had to obtain entry visas beforehand. In 2010, the two countries signed an agreement cancelling visas for up to 30-day trips. Russia suspended visa-free travel with Turkey from January 1, 2016 in line with the presidential decree of November 28, 2015 on measures to ensure Russia’s national security and protection of its citizens from criminal actions and on the use of special economic measures against Turkey. The move followed the November 24, 2015 incident when Turkey downed a Russian Su-24 bomber at the border with Syria. Turkey obliged Russian holders of service passports to obtain entry visas from April 15, 2016. Holders of diplomatic and regular international passports could enter the country visa-free. Russia mirrored the move. From June 1, 2016, the Turkish side expanded visa requirement to professional drivers and accompanying persons of Russian citizenship engaged in cargo a passenger businesses. The Turkish side said the move had been taken in response to Russia’s toughening border control over Turkish goods. In October 2016, the Turkish side raised the issue of canceling visa restrictions but Russia suspended talks on that matter for an indefinite period after the murder of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov on December 19, 2016. Russia’s foreign ministry said back then that "Turkey must continue serious work to ensure security of people entering the country and grant guarantees of thorough checks of those planning to visit Russia." The Turkish authorities said they had taken this decision with understanding but would wait for the resumption of talks. On April 24, 2017, Turkey extended visa-free stay for Russian citizens from 60 to 90 days. Read more