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Turkey extends visa free stay for Russians to 60 days

Last year around 3 million Russians visited Antalya alone

MOSCOW, May 17 (Itar-Tass) - Turkey extended a visa free stay for Russian citizens on its territory to 60 days, the official journal of the Turkish government, T. C. Resmi Gazete, said on Friday.

From now on Russia’s foreign passport holders will be able to stay in Turkey not 30 days as the agreement on mutual trips signed in April 2011 stipulates, but up to 60 days. However, one precondition remains - as the number of visa-free entries is not restricted, duration of stay in Turkey cannot exceed 90 days during a 180-day period.

Turkey has already taken this unilateral step for the second time. A similar measure was adopted by the government in 2012.

Turkey extended a visa free stay taking into account strategic importance of Russian-Turkish relations, including tourism, the director of Antalya’s culture and tourism department, Ibrahim Ajar, told Itar-Tass.

“This is a good and important decision. Last year around 3 million Russians visited Antalya alone. Many tourists come for a short period of time, but there are also those who stay at our place for a long time,” he said.

Many business people and students arrive in Turkey, Ajar said. For them a month’s time can be not enough, while it takes time and efforts to process visas.

“Thus, we significantly simplify the terms of stay for Russians in Turkey and lift some problems,” he said.

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