Great Vizier

Russia suspends the visa -free regime with Turkey from January 1, 2016. This was stated by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a press conference in Moscow, TASS reports .

"The leadership of the Russian Federation made a decision to suspend the visa -free regime that is now acting between Russia and the Turkish Republic," the minister said.

“I want to say that, and we have already said that Russia is very, very concerned about the increase in terrorist threats in Turkey,” Lavrov noted. “These are not far -fetched threats, these are threats quite real. We inform Russian citizens with all responsibility.”

Lavrov also said that this year more than 200 Russian citizens were deported from Turkey "after they were convicted of the Turkish authorities in illegal activities."

“Despite the existing relevant agreement, in only seven of more than two hundred cases, the Russian side was informed about such a deportation in advance. In most cases, these persons were deported, bypassing the Russian Federation, they were sent to other countries, including states that pursue a policy unfriendly against Russia,” the minister explained.

On Tuesday, Lavrov canceled his visit to Turkey after the attack of the Turkish Air Force on the Russian Su-24 aircraft. The Foreign Ministry does not recommend Russian citizens to go to the Turkish Republic , the minister said. The terrorist threat from Turkey is growing, the minister explained, noting that it was no less than from Egypt, Lavrov noted.

On Wednesday, the Federal Tourism Agency forbade tour operators sell tours to Turkey due to the threat of terrorism. "In the Turkish Republic, circumstances have developed that seriously compliance with the adoption of measures to protect Russian citizens and the provision of patronage by them by the Russian Federation," the report said. The agency warned that the provision of travel services to Turkey "is a gross violation of the legislation of the Russian Federation and entails the application of legal liability measures to guilty persons."

On Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry recommended that the country's citizens who are in Turkey return to their homeland . "In connection with the terrorist threats preserved in Turkey, we confirm the recommendation of Russian citizens to refrain from visiting the Turkish Republic, and we recommend that Russians return to their homeland with personal goals," the Foreign Ministry said.