ISTANBUL: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday blamed the United States for what he called a “heinous economic attack” that has sent the lira tumbling some 40 percent this year. At a speech to officials from his AK Party in Ankara, Erdogan also said Turkey would see the result of the central bank’s independence after its substantial rate increase a day earlier. On Thursday the central bank lifted its benchmark rate by 6.25 percentage points.