Turkey has humiliated Russian tourists by refusing to allow them to disembark in Istanbul, after one of the most popular tourist ships sailing through the Black Sea, the Astoria Grande, was denied entry into the port, Telegrafi reports.
The ship, which was carrying around 600 Russian passengers, remained for several hours in the waters near Istanbul, wandering aimlessly while awaiting the decision of Turkish authorities.
After a long period of uncertainty, the captain was forced to make the bitter decision to turn back towards Socchi - ruining the entire planned itinerary.
The tourists had paid for a two-week trip that included visits to Marmaris, Antalya, Bodrum and Izmir, with Istanbul considered the highlight of the entire excursion. For many of them, this was the main reason they had chosen this cruise. However, the most important stop of the trip was suddenly canceled and without clear explanation.
The atmosphere on board, according to Russian media, was tense: passengers were demanding information, staff were trying to calm the situation, while the cruise company was unable to provide immediate clarification.
This incident comes just days after Russian authorities in the Krasnodar region blocked the entry of the Turkish ferry Seabridge into the port of Sochi, turning it back. For this reason, many Russian media outlets are presenting the Astoria Grande situation as a possible act of “revenge” on the part of Turkey. Meanwhile, neither side has issued an official statement explaining the decision.
In the end, Russian tourists were forced to accept the bitter reality: a trip sold as a luxury Mediterranean vacation turned into a long and unsuccessful cruise, without the opportunity to visit the most anticipated destination of the trip.
