Russia Suspends Visa-Free Turkey Travel, Effective Jan 1

Tension between the two NATO members continues with Russia suspending visa-free travel to Turkey. The policy change, as the officials define, will come to effect from January 1, 2016.

Russian officials are accusing Turkish counterpart of allowing terrorists pass through its borders without sharing information about the movement.

Meanwhile, the Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan warned Friday Russia must not play with fire. Complicating the relations further Moscow threatened of economic retaliation.

The strain relationship between the two nations escalated after the shot down of Russian warplane by Turkish fighter jet recently alleging it violated the airspace even after repeated warning.

Russia claimed the warplane was within the airspace of Syria to airstrike the targets of Islamic State, commonly known as Isis, in defense of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria is under civil war for about five years.

Turkey has extensive trade ties with Russia, but it has also long sought Assad’s ouster.