Erdogan Accuses US of ‘Stabbing Turkey in the Back’

  • 8/14/2018
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who blames the crash of the lira on the United States, accused on Monday Washington of “stabbing Ankara in the back.” He said: “You act on one side as a strategic partner, but on the other, you fire bullets into the foot of your strategic partner. We are together in NATO and then you seek to stab your strategic partner in the back. Is this acceptable?" The Turkish lira has lost more than 40 percent of its value against dollar this year. Turkey’s lira pulled back from a record low of 7.24 to the dollar on Monday after the central bank pledged to provide liquidity, but it remained under selling pressure and its meltdown caused further unease on global markets, Reuters reported. On Monday, the Central Bank said the reserve requirement moves will free up 10 billion lira, $6 billion, and $3 billion equivalent of gold liquidity in the financial system, the bank said. It also pledged to provide “all the liquidity banks need.” Erdogan accused his US counterpart Donald Trump of waging “economic war against the entire world.” Last week, Trump announced a doubling of tariffs on steel and aluminum originating from Turkey. “The aim of the operation is to make Turkey surrender in all areas, from finance to politics,” the Turkish president told supporters in the Black Sea city of Trabzon. On Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Washington needs to understand that no results will be achieved through sanctions and pressure. Speaking at the 10th Ambassadors Conference in Ankara, he stressed: "We are open to diplomacy and building consensus, but accepting impositions is out of the question."

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