July 16, 2025

No More Summers in Turkey?


No More Summers in Turkey?
Tourists spending a day at the beach in Antalya, Turkey. 71ergun, Wikimedia Commons.

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.

You Might Also Like

The
  • July 14, 2025

The "No" Exhibition

Russian journalists in exile collaborated with international artists on an exhibition celebrating resistance.
Tightening Trade Ties
  • June 29, 2025

Tightening Trade Ties

Russia and Belarus celebrate a record year for trade between them in 2024. No surprise there.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955