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Senator calls on Russians mulling vacations in Turkey to be cautious

"Turkey remains a country with tangible risks of terrorism," Frantz Klintsevich said

MOSCOW, June 30. /TASS/. Russians mulling holidays in Turkey after the revocation of restrictions on trips to that country should take account of the tangible risks of terrorism there, senator Frantz Klintsevich, first deputy chairman of the committee for defense and security in the upper house of Russia parliament said on Thursday.

As he commented on President Vladimir Putin’s decision to lift the ban on tours to Turkey, Klitsevich said he understood the President’s move "on the fundamental plane". "Big politics is at stake and President Putin obviously couldn’t but respond to the steps made by the Turkish side towards restoring normal relations between the two countries."

"The President did what a statesman of his rank should have done in the current situation," he said. "But the addressee of his decision is obviously the Turkish side, not the Russian tourists."

"There are no reasons to consider the lifting of the ban on selling tours to Turkey as a recommendation to the Russians to set sail for Turkey immediately," he said. "Turkey remains a country with tangible risks of terrorism."

"Each one of us is free to make choices but we must know what we subject ourselves to, all the more so that the Russians have nice places where to spend vacations in their homeland," Klintsevich said. "My frank recommendation is, please care for yourselves and for your near and dear ones."

Earlier on Thursday, President Putin introduced amendments to an earlier decree on ensuring the national security of the Russian Federation and the security of its citizens and on applying special economic measures to the Turkish Republic, which he signed seven months ago.

In part, he revoked restrictions on selling tours to Turkey to Russian citizens. The changes take effect as of the date of their official publication.

In addition to it, Putin instructed the government to hold talks with the Turkish authorities on trade between the two countries. Depending on the results of contacts with the Turkish side, the cabinet of ministers will be expected to make proposals on changes in the special economic measures stipulated by the previous decree.