Does the Mir card work in Turkey

Recently, reports have begun to appear on the Web that Russian tourists in Turkey are having problems using the Mir card. In this regard, rumors began to spread that the Central Bank of Turkey issued an instruction not to accept cards of the Russian payment system. We found out what’s really going on.

The main reason for the spread of rumors that Mir cards were no longer accepted in Turkey was a photo of an announcement posted online from the reception desk of one of the Turkish hotels with the following content: “Dear guests! From 10.09. 2022 Mir bank cards are not accepted on the territory of the Republic of Turkey. Thanks for understanding”. Further – more: telegram channels began to publish information that Mir cards were no longer accepted at the direction of the Central Bank of Turkey.

There are indeed interruptions in accepting Mir cards in Turkish hotels, shops and ATMs, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia noted. But, as practice has shown, this mainly concerns cards issued by banks that are on the US and EU SDN lists. Among them are Sberbank, VTB, Gazprombank, Alfa-Bank, Rosselkhozbank, MKB, FC Otkritie, Sovcombank, Promsvyazbank, VBRR, Rossiya Bank, Novikombank, UBRD, Cetelem Bank, Rosgosstrakh Bank, SMP Bank, Moscow Industrial Bank, RNCB, Transcapital Bank, Investtorgbank, Genbank, Vietnam-Russian Joint Bank (VRB), CHBRD, Industrial Savings Bank and Roseximbank.

With the use of cards of banks that are not included in the sanctions list, problems usually do not arise. This was confirmed by the tourists who were in Turkey after the “date X”, that is, after September 10. They freely withdrew money from Mir cards of banks not included in the sanctions list at ATMs of financial institutions that are connected to the Russian payment system: Turkiye Is Bankasi, Ziraat Bankasi, VakifBank, DenizBank and Halkbank.

The fact that Mir cards continue to work in Turkey was also confirmed by a representative of the National Payment Card System (NSPK), the operator of Mir cards.

“Mir cards work in Turkey as usual. The Mir payment system notes individual cases of refusals to conduct transactions on cards of Russian banks under sanctions and monitors the situation, – quotes RBC message from the NSPK representative. “Some Turkish acquiring banks that accept Mir cards in the country may reject transactions with such cards in their devices.”

However, the assumptions that Turkey fears secondary sanctions from the United States and the European Union are also justified. So, on September 15, the Financial Times published a statement by one of the Western officials that the US and EU authorities would increase pressure on Ankara in connection with the connection of Turkish banks to the Mir system.

In the meantime, the current situation is as follows:

— the Mir payment system in Turkey continues to operate;

– problems with payment mainly arise for holders of Mir cards issued by banks from the sanctions list, while they can be accepted in one store and not accepted in another;

– the problem may also be related to the type of card: for example, from credit cards, Sberbank pension cards or Mir installment cards, cash withdrawals may be prohibited or limited, or the use of such cards outside the Russian Federation may be prohibited;

– Mir cards are not accepted everywhere, but only where payment terminals of at least one of the five banks cooperating with the Russian payment system are installed.

Tourists who are going to relax in the velvet season in Turkish resorts are advised by experts, firstly, to open and take with them a Mir card in one of the banks that are not included in the Western sanctions lists. It is important to have a card on hand if unforeseen circumstances arise in which you need to receive financial assistance from Russia. Secondly, before paying with a card, you should ask if they are accepted at a hotel or store or look for the appropriate sticker near the cash register or ATM. Thirdly, you need to take cash with you – rubles, dollars or euros, so that in case of problems with the card, you will not be left without money.

Alena Bodrienko.

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