'Growing terrorist threat': Russia to halt visa-free regime with Turkey


Russia has decided to suspend the visa-free regime with Turkey from the beginning of 2016, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

“Russia’s leadership has taken a decision to suspend the visa-free regime between Russia and Turkey. This decision will come into force from January 1,” state-run news agency TASS quotes Lavrov.

Lavrov reiterated that Russia has been concerned about the growing terrorist threats coming from Turkey. “This is directly linked with the security of Russia and our citizens.”

“There is a well-run traffic of gunmen via Turkey in various directions,” he said. “These are not farfetched threats, these are quite real threats.”

On November 25, Turkish F-16 fighters shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 warplane which violated the country’s airspace 10 times within a five-minute period, according to Ankara.

On November 26, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called Turkey’s attack against the Russian Su-24M aircraft an ‘act of aggression towards Russia’ and a ‘crime’ and promised that a number of different measures will be taken in response.

Read also: Poultry, beer, tourism. Russia’s clumsy bid to retaliate for Turkey’s downing Su-24

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