World Bulletin / News Desk

Russia decided to halt visa-free regime for Turkish citizens starting from January 1, 2016, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday. 

"The leadership of the Russian Federation decided to suspend the visa-free regime between Russia and Turkey. This decision shall enter into force on January 1," Lavrov said. 

According to Lavrov, Turkey has been repeatedly deporting Russian citizens to "unfriendly" counties. 

"More than 200 Russians were deported from Turkey because they were convicted of illegal activities. Despite the agreement, only in 7 of the 200 cases, Russia has been informed in advance about such deportation.

"In most cases they (the Russians), bypassing the Russian border, were deported to other countries, including some countries pursuing unfriendly policies towards Russia," Lavrov said.

The move comes days after Russian fighter jet was downed by Turkish Armed Forces for violating its airspace.