Moscow to suspend Russia-Turkey visa-free travel from 2016

The visa-free travel regime between Russian Federation and Turkey is also formally suspended and Turkish citizens, except Turkish diplomats and their dependents and those with temporary permits of residence, are not allowed to enter Russian Federation starting January 1, 2016, according to the decree.

“Supporting state terrorism in Syria, which has claimed 380-thousand lives, is playing with fire”. He called Russian charges that Turkey was buying oil from the Islamic State group “slander”.

The Russian embassy in Turkey told the RIA Novosti news agency that Oleg Peskov’s body would be flown today from Hatay in the presence of Russia’s military attache to an aerodrome in Ankara where it would be met by the ambassador.

The decree published on the Kremlin’s website Saturday came hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had voiced regret over the incident, saying his country was “truly saddened” by the event and wished it hadn’t occurred.

Erdogan was also furious at reports Turkish businessmen have been detained for “visa irregularities”.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Sunday that the body of the Russian pilot was brought to Turkey, and would be handed over to Russia.

The Turkish government warned citizens against non-urgent travel to Russia, the latest in the mounting tensions between the two countries after the downing of a Russian fighter jet by Turkey.

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has said he does not want to harm relations with such an important trading partner and asked for a meeting with Putin face to face in Paris next week during the climate change summit.

One of the pilots of the SU-24 died in the incident while the other was rescued by Russian special operations forces in Syria.

The decree also calls for an end to charter flights between the countries.

Erdogan said Friday that Putin urged Turkey to accept the Russian planes “as guests”.

The Russian leader has denounced the Turkish action as a “treacherous stab in the back” and has insisted the plane was downed over Syrian territory in violation of global law.

The Turkish president said both sides must approach the issue in a more positive way.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the incident would negatively affect all aspects of relations between Moscow and Ankara and recommended Russians to refrain from visiting Turkey.