Alwaght- Turkey will boycott electronic products from the US in response to Washington’s economic pressures, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Tuesday.
“There is an economic attack against Turkey. Earlier such things were done in secret, and now they are open to us. We can react in two ways: economically and politically,” Erdogan said in Ankara.
“Our Ministry of Finance and the Treasury are working day and night…we will boycott electronic goods from the United States. They have iPhones, but on the other hand there are Samsungs. We have our local brand Venus Vestel, we will use it," the Turkish president added.
This is the latest chapter in a growing diplomatic rift between the two NATO-member states. Ankara and Washington two countries have been at odds over the detention of American evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson in Turkey over aiding the failed military coup in 2016.
The US imposed sanctions against Turkey and President Trump has doubled steel and aluminium tariffs on Turkish imports. US pressure has created a currency crisis in Turkey with the lira plummeting to a record low of 7.20 against the dollar on Monday before strengthening to 6.61 on Tuesday.
Erdoğan also railed against what he called a larger and deeper operation against Turkey. “They do not refrain from using the economy as a weapon against us, as they tried in the areas of diplomacy, military, or efforts for social and political instability,” he said.
In addition, Turkish Airlines has announced it will stop advertising American products on its flights, authorities in Ankara said.
