Turkey’s Erdogan urges Turks to convert foreign currency to lira
ANKARA: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Turks to convert their foreign money into gold and lira to stimulate the country’s economy as Turkey’s currency continued its slide against the dollar.
“For those who have foreign currencies under the pillow, come change this to gold, come change this to TL (Turkish lira). Let the lira win greater value. Let gold win greater value,” he said during a televised speech in Ankara.
“What necessity is there to let foreign currency have greater value?” he asked.
The lira lost value against the dollar as he delivered his speech, however, reaching lows of 3.51.
Later the Istanbul Exchange said on its website it would convert all of its cash assets into Turkish lira “in support of (Erdogan’s) call,” leading the lira to make up some of its losses against the greenback after it reached record lows of 3.58.
The lira was at 3.50 against the dollar around midnight on Friday, down 0.30 per cent on the day in another volatile 24-hours for the currency.
In November alone, the lira haemorrhaged more than 10 per cent of its value against the dollar.
Erdogan also suggested that there were forces “playing games” against Turkey, which Turks could counter by changing their money.
“Don’t worry, in a short while, we will destroy this game,” he said.
The Turkish currency was also reacting to Erdogan’s repeated insistence on lowering interest rates because, he claims, there is “no other remedy”.