According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) statement, many Russians chose Turkey as a vacation destination for the June 12 Russia Day holiday over the weekend.

ATOR's statement said that many Russians chose Turkey on Russia Day, which commemorates the declaration of state sovereignty in 1992.

Turkey is a leading holiday destination for June, according to the statement, which also said that between June10-12, about 32 percent of Russian tourists made reservations to spend their vacation in Turkey, followed by Greece and Russia with 19 percent.

Russia Day, when the parliament of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic declared its sovereignty from the Soviet Union in 1990, is celebrated annually on June 12 as a national holiday. Moreover, Boris Yeltsin was elected the first president of the Russian Federation in 1991.