Turks sprint to support national currency after Erdoğan call

Turks from all walks of life have taken it upon themselves to help support their country’s national currency after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called on citizens to exchange their dollars and euros to Turkish lira, which experienced a sharp decrease in value following an escalating row between NATO allies Ankara and Washington.

A large number of Turks launched individual initiatives aimed at encouraging their fellow citizens to support the lira.

One citizen, a baker, offered free loaves of bread to anyone who exchanged their dollars, while another offered a free haircut to those who answered Erdoğan's call.

Long lines formed in front of jewelers and exchange offices across Turkey as citizens flocked to sell whatever gold or dollars they have on hand to help support the ailing lira.

One such citizen is Hatice Yavuz Duygu who expressed her joy to reporters after she exchanged her dollars to Turkish liras.

“I’m happy, I never think or feel sad as I always put my support behind the Turkish lira,” she said.

"Anyone who has dollars, euros, or gold underneath their mattresses should go to the bank and convert them into Turkish liras," Erdoğan told a rally on Friday in the northeastern Bayburt province.

Erdoğan called such moves part of a "national struggle."

"This will be my people's answer to those who declare economic war against us," he added.

Süleyman, a trucker from the province of Kayseri, who despite not having any gold to sell or dollars to exchange, still managed to answer Erdoğan’s call by donating his truck to the government.

A teller at an exchange office in Nevşehir spoke to Yeni Şafak about the large turnout of citizens who responded to the president’s call to exchange their dollars.

“Especially in the last three to four days, our citizens have seriously begun to exchange their dollars. I’d say 80 percent of citizens have exchanged their dollars and euros based on what I’ve seen.”

“We have to protect our country,” a man from the crowd of people waiting to exchange their dollars yelled.

“We have no other country. If you don’t want to become like Syria, then protect your country. The day is that of unity, not of playing politics. I, too, exchanged my foreign currency, everyone should do that no matter how much they have.”

Criticizing what he called the "interest lobbies," he added that they cannot "overthrow" Turkey.

Trump said Friday on Twitter that he authorized the doubling of tariffs, noting that "aluminum will now be 20% and steel 50%. Our relations with Turkey are not good at this time!"

He later said in a proclamation released by the White House that the additional tariffs would begin on Aug. 13.

Trump's announcement came less than an hour after Erdoğan urged Turks to help defend the country against the economic war against the country.

The United States, the world's biggest steel importer, imposed tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum in March for imports from a variety of countries.

Since then, its relationship with Turkey, the sixth largest steel importer to the United States, has deteriorated, prompting Ankara to send a delegation this week to Washington to meet with both the State and Treasury Departments.

Last week, the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey's justice minister and interior minister for not releasing Pastor Andrew Brunson.

Securing the release of evangelical Pastor Brunson, who was arrested in 2016 and faces terrorism charges in Turkey, is a top priority for the United States, and it is also tussling with Turkey over trade issues and differences over Syria.