Erdogan: Turkey will boycott US electronic products

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday (August 14) Turkey would boycott electronic products from the United States, which has imposed sanctions and raised tariffs against Ankara in a dispute about the detention of a US evangelical pastor.

Erdogan said Turkey has been taking necessary measures regarding the economy, amid a slide in the lira currency exacerbated by the dispute with Washington, but it was important to keep a firm political stance. Switching to foreign currency would mean giving in to the enemy, Erdogan said.

Harshly criticizing the economic sanctions imposed by the US on Turkey, “As they couldn’t make us do what they wanted on the field, they don’t hesitate to use economy as a weapon,” Erdogan said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his turn said Turkey would turn toward new markets, new partners and alternative financial tools.

“If you pressure us through the dollar, we will look for other ways to carry out our works,” he said.

Terming the recent US tariffs on Turkey as an “economic war,” the Turkish president said: “We’ve seen your game and we challenge it.”

The aim of the recent US pressure is “to ensnare Turkey in every field from finance to politics,” the president noted.

“We will not surrender,” Erdogan asserted.

Last Friday, President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from Turkey.