Turkey is ready to offer coronavirus tests for departing tourists and free treatment should their results come back positive, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Sputnik in an interview, adding that the country is open to talks about free PCR tests for Russian travelers
GENEVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th April, 2021) Turkey is ready to offer coronavirus tests for departing tourists and free treatment should their results come back positive, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Sputnik in an interview, adding that the country is open to talks about free PCR tests for Russian travelers.
"We are also providing PCR tests for the countries, for tourists that are going back home from Turkey. And we did actually provided PCR tests last year for every single German tourist who came to Turkey before they went back. And in the case of any positive test tourists get free treatment in Turkey, and also free accommodation," Cavusoglu said.
Turkey, the minister noted, is ready to provide polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for Russian travelers as well.
"We are ready, if Russia requests. We have the PCR test capacity. Such tests are not for free. Last year we did the same for German tourists. If it is at the hotel and clinic, it was around I think 15 Euros ($18). If it is at the airport, of course it's a little bit more. I think it was 35 euros last year," he added.
When asked whether Russian tourists could receive PCR tests for free, the top Turkish diplomat said that "this is the subject of discussion" between the two countries.
Russia restricted air traffic with Turkey from April 15 to June 1 amid a steep rise in coronavirus cases in the country popular with Russian tourists. Two flights a week still run between Moscow and Istanbul.
