Russian citizens relocating to Turkey in recent weeks are being refused residence permits, independent Russian-language media outlet Current Time reported Monday.
Since Dec. 26, Russian citizens who left Russia following the invasion of Ukraine and the military mobilization have been denied short-term residence permits for tourism in several cities, the report shows.
“[We were told that], it does not matter what [documents] we provide, Russians are not be issued with residence permits now," Ekaterina, who moved from Moscow to the Turkish city of Fethiye with her husband, told Current Time.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the country’s immigration authorities have not yet commented on the issue.
Last year, 153,000 Russian citizens received a temporary Turkish residence permit, becoming the largest group by nationality to receive the document. Some 86% of permits received by Russians were for up to a year, according to the Turkish Migration Service.
A short-term residence permit for tourism allows visitors to stay in Turkey for up to a year and to come and go freely. Russian citizens without residence permits are only permitted to stay in Turkey as tourists, which means a maximum stay of 60 consecutive days within six months, after which they are obliged to leave and re-enter Turkey.
A residence permit also entitles its holder to open a bank account or to enroll children in local schools.
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