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Upper House committee wants Russia tourists security in Turkey

Massive cases of poisoning, road accidents and explosions became more frequent at Turkish resorts

MOSCOW, September 20 (Itar-Tass) —— Members of the upper house of Russian parliament invite Turkish colleagues to a dialogue on problems of security of Russian tourists vacationing at Turkish resorts. This is suggested in the message of the Federation Council Commission for Youth and Tourism to Idris Gulluce, the chairman of the Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey for Development, Reconstruction, Transportation and Tourism.

Vladimir Zhidkikh, the head of the upper house commission, the author of the message, noted that Turkey attracts large numbers of Russian tourists. “About two million Russian tourists vacationed in Turkey in 2009 and 2.4 million in 2010,” he noted.

At the same time the MP complained that Turkey started leading for the number of accidents with Russian tourists in the past few years, particularly in 2011. “Massive cases of poisoning, road accidents and explosions became more frequent at Turkish resorts. Several accidents with Russian tourists occur actually every month,” Zhidkikh said.

According to his information, six Russians died in Turkey in 2011, more than 100 tourists got poisoned and dozens of tourists were injured in road accidents and in explosions.

The commission of the upper house “is concerned over this situation.” “We want to alert Turkish MPs to tragic events that have taken place and to the unsatisfactory state of security,” the message says.

The Russian MPs ask Turkish colleagues, in view of the growing flow of Russian tourists to Turkey, “to take legislative measures to prevent incidents and enhance security standards at Turkish resorts.”

The commission of the Federation Council warns that “unless effective mechanisms are worked out, the Russian MPs will have to take measure to decrease the flow of Russian tourists to Turkey.”

To get certain that such measures were taken, the head of the commission asks his Turkish counterpart “to send the registry of legislative measures of reacting to the situation,”

Zhidkikh also suggested a meeting of the two commissions in Moscow in October. “The meeting will be aimed at the development of constructive dialogue and cooperation and at interaction to refine legislation regulating security of tourism,” the message says.