RBC: ‘Tired’ Turkish bank workers creating new rules to make it harder for Russians to open accounts

Turkish banks have started making it more difficult for Russians who arrived after the start of Putin’s mobilization campaign to sign up for payment cards, according to the news outlet RBC.

One Russian man reported that he had to go to 15 different Turkish banks before he found one that would allow him to open an account. The man said most banks required him to show a Turkish work permit, deposit at least $5,000, or pay a $100 commission, and that some banks told him they don’t work with foreigners at all.

Multiple people who work as intermediaries between banks and Russian customers confirmed the reports, according to RBC.

“After partial mobilization was announced in Russia, the number of Russians coming to Turkey and trying to open card accounts skyrocketed. Not all bank employees want to serve Russians, because they’re tired,” one intermediary told journalists. He said that because of the language barrier, it can take three to four hours for a Russian to open an account.

Other Russians living in Turkey told Meduza that they faced similar barriers even before mobilization.

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