Some 18,000 Russian women who are married to Turkish men reside in Turkey's resort province of Antalya, Today’s Zaman reports.

According to a Russian Friendship and Culture Association study, about 18,000 Russian women live in Antalya. Of those, some 12,000 have been become Turkish citizens, and another 6,000 are in the process of becoming naturalized, the report says.

Last year more than 2.7 million Russian tourists visited Antalya, where 30,000 Russians currently reside.

Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, during his visit to Russia last week, said “Russian women fit very well in the Turkish family structure.”