Kremlin says restrictions on flights to Turkey are not politically motivated

13 April 2021

 

Russia's restriction of passenger air flights with Turkey is not politically motivated and is solely related to the outbreak of the covid disease in the republic, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.


"No, it does not," the Kremlin spokesman said when asked if the restrictions were politically motivated, including those related to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statements on Ukrainian issues.


"The situation is purely epidemiological in nature and is related to a fairly sharp outbreak of the disease in Turkey," Peskov stressed.


Russia from April 15 to June 1 limits passenger air travel with Turkey due to a new outbreak of coronavirus in the country - the number of flights will be reduced to two per week on a reciprocal basis. Flights to Tanzania will also be suspended. At the moment, regular flights to Turkey are operated by eight Russian airlines: "Aeroflot", "Pobeda", " Rossiya", S7, Nordwind, Utair (the only carrier flying not from Moscow and St. Petersburg, but from Grozny), Azur Air and "Ural Airlines".

 

 

GSV "Russia - Islamic World"

Photo: Creative Commons

Based on materials from TASS