Russia slashes flights with Turkey over Covid-19 concerns

Moscow, April 13 (IANS) Russia will reduce the number of regular and charter flights with Turkey from April 15 to June 1 to curb imports of Covid-19 infections, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova announced.There will be only two flights a week between Moscow and Istanbul, and Russian travel agencies are advised to suspend sales of tours to Turkey, Golikova said at a briefing on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.Most coronavirus-positive Russians that are returning from abroad are arriving from Turkey, Anna Popova, head of Russia's consumer rights and human well-being watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, said at the briefing.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied speculations that the limit on air traffic is retaliation for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Istanbul and talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday.
--IANS int/