Russia and Turkey are in talks after citizens refused boarding on flights to Latin America

Peace in Eastern Europe was shattered one terrible night on February 24, 2022, when Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The West responded swiftly to support Ukraine and imposed several harsh penalties on the Russian economy and other domains.

Soon after, Russian planes were outlawed from the skies above Europe, America, and other regions, but Turkey and other nations continued to serve as a lifeline and transit point for Russians wishing to go outside of Russia. Turkey has supported Ukraine militarily throughout the crisis while still accepting millions of Russian visitors. However, new reports from Russian media claim that Turkish Airlines has started turning away Russian passengers heading for Latin American nations without giving an explanation.

Russian media sites like RusTourismNews claim that Turkish Airlines is refusing to board Russian passengers traveling to Latin American nations. According to the Russian news agency, Russian travelers on Turkish Airlines are reportedly being turned away from Latin American transit flights more frequently when they board at Istanbul airport. In 2024, Turkish Airlines is still a significant airline operating flights to Russia.

"The Government of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia are actively working to resolve the situation regarding refusals by Turkish Airlines to allow Russians on transit flights to Latin America, according to the Press Secretary of the President of Russia, Dmitry Peskov."- RusTourismNews

The "problem primarily lies with the Turkish side," according to Dmitry Peskov, the president of Russia's press secretary, and the Russian government is "actively engaged, tirelessly emphasizing the unacceptability of such a situation for us, for Russian citizens." According to Forbes, Dmitry Peskov is one of the several Russians who are subject to US sanctions in addition to those imposed by numerous other nations.

The Russian Association of Tour Operators (ATOR) reportedly blamed the boarding rejections on worries over unauthorized immigration to the US, according to the Moscow Times. The Moscow Times also revealed that, according to estimates from Shot, a Telegram news channel allegedly connected to Russia's security services, some 1,000 Russians had been turned away from flights to Latin America at Istanbul.

Meanwhile, stricter screening procedures are reportedly being put in place for travelers traveling to South American nations, according to VisaGuide.news. According to Turkish Airlines, these modifications apply to Brazil, Cuba, Columbia, Mexico, and Venezuela. According to VisaGuide, these adjustments are a reaction to an increase in Turkish nationals applying for asylum in the US. According to the report, more and more Turkish nationals are making attempts to enter the United States by traveling via Mexico and Canada in order to apply for asylum.

"Some additional controls may be applied to our passengers who have flights arriving in Venezuela (CCS), Mexico (MEX and CUN), Colombia (BOG), Cuba (HAV) and Brazil (GRU), apart from the general rules such as passport and visa requirements. Since the country's authorities may deny entry to the country with respect to the following requirements, similar controls can be carried out during boarding."- Turkish Airlines

Presenting visas, hotel bookings, invitation letters, and return tickets are additional control procedures (specific regulations differ slightly between nations). It is assumed that travelers visiting some of these nations for a prolonged length of time would have checked luggage in addition to carry-on (and maybe cash and credit cards). But despite the report's discussion of the rise in asylum requests from Turkish nationals, Russian media sources claim that Russian people are also subject to the new limitations.

Russians were able to go to Europe rather easily before to the war, but as of right now, most European nations forbid Russians from entering for tourism. This information is reported by euronews.com. Russians are being forced to look for other places as a result. Traveling to Europe, the US, and many other countries that support Ukraine has grown more challenging for Russians, even as their country seeks to demonstrate that they are not alone worldwide. The nations that share borders with Russia and have experienced Russian and USSR invasions in the past—Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland—have set the strictest restrictions.

Russia realized that Ukraine would not be a swift win or parade through Kyiv after a series of humiliating losses (instead shattered Russian tanks were paraded through Kyiv). Furthermore, it was clear that Russia lacked the personnel to carry on fighting such a big war on so many fronts. Thus, Russia recruited hundreds of thousands of people into the army in October 2022.

Fearing they would be put in the metaphorical "meatgrinder," this led to a large-scale flight of Russian men of military age. Many Russians have continued to look for a life outside of Russia, even if that surge has subsided since then as Russia has tried to avoid further mobilization and has instead focused on recruitment via relatively substantial financial incentives. CNN reported in February 2023 that since October 2022, about 22,000 Russians had attempted to enter the country through the southern border.

The number of Russians entering the US across the southern border to seek refuge remained unknown following the CNN story. According to a February 2023 BBC story, more than 5,000 pregnant Russian women have journeyed to Argentina by January 2023 and given birth there. While the newborn kid instantly acquires Argentine nationality and is eligible for free healthcare, they are able to seek a visa in Argentina. A record number of Russian asylum applicants were admitted by South Korea in February 2024, according to a CNN report, indicating that many Russians are still seeking refuge outside of their war-torn nation.