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Russian official: Too many tourists dying in Turkey
Sep 20, 2011, 10:07 GMT
Moscow - Too many Russian tourists are dying on holiday in Turkey due to dangerous drink and unsafe roads, a Russian government official said Tuesday.
'Turkish authorities have weakened enforcement of food safety rules, their monitoring of criminal elements and transportation safety,' said Aleksandr Radkov, director of the Russia's national tourist oversight agency Rosturizm.
A total of 47 Russian nationals died while on holiday in Turkey in 2011, Radkov said in comments reported by the Interfax news agency.
Excess consumption of alcohol was a contributing factor in 'many' of the deaths, Radkov said, noting that heavy drinking was a Russian national 'misfortune.'
But Turkish government failure to stop tour operators from offering Russian tourists unsafe drinks and transport is the main cause of the fatalities, and the trend is worsening, he said.
Turkey's Mediterranean coast is extremely popular with Russian holiday seekers, who prefer the destination for its low cost and visa-free access.
More than 100 Russian tourists were forced to seek medical attention in the Turkish resort city of Alanya in July, and eight were hospitalized.
Five Russian tourists died on a sailing trip near the city Bodrum in May after drinking bootleg whiskey, according to an RIA Novosti news agency report.
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