Turkish Airlines has once again refused to allow a Russian traveler to board one of its flights. Gleb Shatkov, a Russian citizen, was preparing to fly from Istanbul to Panama for an expedition to Antarctica but was denied service by the airline. Moreover, Turkish Airlines banned him from using their services for a year, according to Shatkov’s account.
On September 22, Shatkov checked in for a flight from Tivat, Montenegro, to Panama with a stopover in Istanbul. He received two boarding passes for the journey. His return ticket, however, was purchased as a separate booking.
“At boarding in Istanbul, I was denied entry onto the flight to Panama. They explained that tickets are not typically purchased two days before departure, and if the return ticket wasn’t purchased in the same transaction, it’s not considered valid,” Shatkov said.
He was not the only passenger affected on that flight, as several others also experienced the same issue. Denied passengers were left shuttling between the boarding gate and the airline’s counter, receiving what Shatkov described as “absurd excuses.”
Shatkov incurred a loss of €3,000. Along with his luggage, he received a letter from Turkish Airlines informing him that he had been added to the airline’s passenger tracking system. Until September 23 of next year, he is prohibited from flying on Turkish Airlines to Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela.
The airline cited several potential reasons for the denial, including refusal by the destination country’s authorities, missing required travel documents or information, and the risk that the passenger might be denied entry into the destination country.
This incident follows reports from April when Russian passengers began complaining about being denied service by Turkish Airlines at Istanbul Airport. Various reasons were given, but the main issue appeared to be the strict entry rules some countries had implemented for Russian citizens.
In response, the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul has submitted an inquiry to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the removal of Russian citizens from flights to Latin America.