No More Summers in Turkey?

Turkey has become a summer travel hotspot for Russians, given the sanctions that prevent them from visiting Western destinations. However, pro-war bloggers have now begun a campaign to discourage Russian tourism to the Mediterranean country, claiming that their visit funds a Ukrainian Secret Service (SBU) campaign to buy drones.

In early July, Latvia announced that Turkey and Belgium had joined the twenty-country Drone Coalition that it heads up. Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spuds said, “Joining the coalition of new allies will provide Ukraine with even more targeted and effective support on the battlefield in the fight against the aggressor.” 

Turkey’s actions added fuel to its growing tensions with Russia. Ukraine had purchased Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones in 2019, 2021, and after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. In response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, “Turkish weapons are used by the Ukrainian armed forces to kill Russian personnel and civilians.” The Turkish government claimed that Ukraine acquired the drones through a private company and not inter-state transactions.

Despite being in NATO, Turkey has not sanctioned Russia since 2022. The country became Moscow’s door to the world as a hub for transportation and commerce. And it has long been a popular vacation destination; in 2024 alone, 6.7 million Russians traveled to the country. The Turkish Statistical Institute estimated that tourists from Russia spent an average $972 per capita. 

Pro-war bloggers let their feelings be known after Turkey’s latest move. On July 6, the telegram channel Two Majors uploaded a post titled “Rested in Turkey - Helped the armed forces in Ukraine.” The group wrote, “The vacations of our fellow citizens in Turkey (...) became unpatriotic.” Two Majors said that the Turkish government had been “spreading its pernicious influence on former republics of the USSR, as we see with the example of Azerbaijan.”

Pro-war blogger Kirill Fedorov said on Radio Rossii, "those who go to Turkey leave money there, [and] donate R500,000 for drones." Fedorov then said, "Anyone who vacationed in Turkey during the war has paid the Ukrainians to kill a neighbor, son, brother... Don't give a damn about our soldiers. Go. The blood will be on your conscience."

State news agencies followed suit, publishing op-eds urging travelers to boycott Turkey. Ria Novosti published a column called "So What: Seven Million Russian Patriots Will Finance Drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine." Singer Vika Tsyganova also jumped on the bandwagon, saying, "If there is a choice, go to a Russian resort and pay an unjustified price, or go to Turkey to pay much less, and donate the money saved to the [war], it is not clear which of these is better."

Meanwhile, State Duma Committee of Tourism and Development of Tourism chairman Sangadzhi Tabaev suggested taxing Russians who leave on vacation abroad.