They don't need a shore: the number of Russians in Turkey has halved since 2023
Russians are leaving Turkey en masse. Since 2023, the number of Russian citizens permanently residing there has almost halved — from 154 thousand to 85 thousand people, the Russian Embassy in Ankara told Izvestia. People are unhappy with high housing prices, and it has become more difficult to extend their residence permits. Everyday problems are added here — different mentalities, habits, even comes to harassment on religious grounds. What other difficulties Russians face and where they are going from Turkey can be found in the Izvestia article.
Problems with extending a residence permit in Turkey
Turkey is losing its appeal to Russians. Over the past two years, the number of Russian citizens permanently residing in the republic has halved. If in 2023 this figure was 154 thousand people, then in 2025 it was only 85 thousand, the Russian Embassy in Ankara told Izvestia.
"There has been a steady decline in interest from Russian citizens in living in the Republic of Turkey," the Russian diplomats stated.
Turkey has become one of the most popular destinations where some Russians have gone after the start of their studies. However, since last year, the media has become more active in writing about the outflow of our citizens from the country. At the same time, if earlier this largely concerned relocators, now also those who lived in the country before 2022. The key reasons are rising prices, especially for housing. Currently, the inflation rate is about 33%. According to the central bank, real estate in Turkey has risen in price by more than 30% over the year.
Izvestia spoke with Russians who either left Turkey or are familiar with those who left it. Many of them note that in addition to housing difficulties, Russian citizens suffer from difficulties in extending their residence permits.
— Many of my friends who live in the tourist area (Antalya, Alanya), as well as in Istanbul, do not have their residence permits extended. At the same time, people lived in Turkey for 5-10 years. They can refuse to extend a residence permit, even if you own a house," said Irina Neplyueva, a resident of Istanbul. — To live without a residence permit is to be illegal. Not everyone is ready for this.
According to Turkish law, foreigners can apply for six categories of residence permits: short-term, family, student, long-term, humanitarian, and for victims of human trafficking. Short-term, which is often referred to as tourist, is the most in demand among Russians. This type of residence permit can be issued by foreigners who have come to Turkey for tourist, scientific research, medical purposes, who have real estate in the republic, establish trade or business ties.
Currently, Russian citizens are given a document for six months, subject to the availability of funds in a bank account — 25 thousand Turkish lira (about 48.8 thousand rubles. — Izvestia), according to the Russian Embassy in Turkey. At the same time, the process of applying for and extending a residence permit has recently become more complicated and more bureaucratic.
— They, for example, demand the last gas bill. Or a photo in the wrong format. They change things regularly," said a Russian woman living in Turkey who wished to remain anonymous. — There are difficulties with registration. For example, my employer mistakenly gave me a residence permit in Trabzon. As a result, I could not register in Istanbul, where I now live. As a result, I came up with a scheme myself: we issued a notary paper to a friend stating that she was responsible for all my expenses and that I was living with her. And it was only through this scheme that I was given a residence permit.
The Russian Embassy in Ankara notes that some areas are closed for foreigners to buy and rent housing, taxes for newcomers have been increased and migration controls have been tightened. By the way, in August 2024, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikay said: the authorities will stop issuing residence permits to those who entered the country for tourist purposes. Izvestia contacted the Turkish Ministry of Internal Affairs with a question about whether an increase in the number of refusals to extend residence permits to Russian citizens has been recorded over the past two years.
What other problems do Russian citizens face?
Difficulties with accommodation are pushing Russians to leave: some return to the Russian Federation, while others move to other countries. Popular destinations are Serbia, Portugal, and Spain. Some choose Georgia. However, lack of money and difficulties with a residence permit are far from the only problems faced by Russians. Some also complain about the poor quality of service, long queues in hospitals, garbage on the streets, and smoking in public places.
Izvestia's interlocutor Alexander moved from Turkey to Portugal. He said that he considered the first country as a "transit base" and did not see it as a place where he could live permanently.
— The problems are common — ignorance of the language, mentality, the feeling that at every step they want to deceive you. That's why I left at the first opportunity," he said.
— In Turkey, almost everything is done slowly and not always logically. One thing was said today — tomorrow may be different. Rules may change, promises may not be fulfilled. This is not an act of malice, but part of the local mentality. If you are used to structure and predictability, then you will have to adapt," said Ekaterina, a resident of Ankara.
There are also known cases of religious harassment in Turkey. Last year, for example, the media reported on the persecution of Protestant Christians in the country. The EU-reporter portal wrote that the authorities have turned many historical churches and monasteries into mosques, stables, canteens, ammunition depots or private homes. Parishioners of the Orthodox Church of St. Panteleimon in the Karakey district of Istanbul also faced a similar problem. It is located in a very unusual place — on the roof of a multi-storey residential building.
The church said that the temple was temporarily closed because several Turkish families lived in it. However, the court later forbade them to stay there. One of the parishioners, on condition of anonymity, said that the Turkish authorities do not grant citizenship to Christian clergy.
— There are a lot of our parishioners who have been officially working here for years. As soon as they applied for citizenship here, they were accused of being missionaries," she said.
The parishioner added that she and her husband had faced such an attitude. At the same time, they have an apartment and have been living in the country for 25 years.
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