![Entrance sign of Turkish Airlines is seen as passengers of Turkish Airlines queue to check in for a Moscow-Antalya flight at the Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, on 19 September, 2017 [Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20170919_2_25823312_26018561-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Russia has announced that it is extending temporary restrictions on flights to Turkey until 21 June due to the serious coronavirus situation in the country, the Moscow Times has reported.
The announcement was made by the Russian Anti-Coronavirus Crisis Centre on Tuesday. At the same time, it was reported that Russia will resume flights to and from Britain and seven other countries.
Turkey is a major destination for Russian holidaymakers. Last year, despite the pandemic, more than 2.1 million Russian tourists visited Turkey. They accounted for 17 per cent of all foreign tourist arrivals in 2020, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Ankara.
The total number of foreign tourists in Turkey fell last year to just 16 million, down 69 per cent on the 2019 figure.