Turkish Embassy in Beirut: Grateful for Solidarity of Lebanese
The Turkish Embassy in Beirut issued a statement on Wednesday expressing appreciation for support campaign launched by the Lebanese people, as Turkey faces new “economic attacks” from the United States.
“Turkey is grateful to brotherly and friendly Lebanese people for launching support campaigns in the cities of Beirut, Tripoli and Sidon in particular, and in all Lebanese regions expressing solidarity with our country against economic attacks we have begun to face,” read the statement on Twitter.
Ties between the United States and Turkey, two NATO allies, took a new turn lately over the detention by Turkish authorities of American pastor Andrew Brunson.
In retaliation, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States was doubling steel and aluminium tariffs on Turkey.
The tensions and the tariff hike by the United States have caused the Turkish lira to bleed value, fanning fears the country is on the verge of an economic crisis that could spillover into Europe.
Erdogan has repeatedly described the crisis as an "economic war" that Turkey will win.
On Wednesday, Turkey announced it was hiking tariffs on imports of certain US products in response to American sanctions on Ankara that caused the value of the lira to plunge.
However the latest outburst of tensions did not so far cause harm to the lira, which on Tuesday clawed back some ground after losing just under a quarter of its value in trade on Friday and Monday.
The lira was trading at 6.3 to the dollar, a gain in value on the day of 0.8 percent.
Source: Naharnet
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/249614 |