Turkey’s President Erdoğan: ‘My citizens converted 2bn USD to TL to support our economy’
Visiting İzmir today (December 23), Turkey’s President Erdoğan held public meetings where he spoke about a range of issues from economy to energy.
‘My citizens converted around 2 billion dollars to lira’
Referring to the latest economic difficulties faced in the country, Erdoğan mentioned the ‘convert your dollars to lira campaign’, which was initially launched by Erdoğan himself, and said: “What makes a flag a flag is the blood that is shed for it by the martyrs. It must have the blood of the martyrs and we have sacrificed numerous martyrs on this land. So, nobody should attempt to carry out operations against these lands. They would pay a heavy price for it; and, they are indeed paying for it. We have no other state aside from Republic of Turkey. No parallel state or something else… Some try to block Turkey’s way. They have pup economic pressure over us. So, I said (to my people) ‘exchange your dollars’. And, thanks to my citizens for converting their nearly 2 billion dollars to TL...”
‘Let alone postponing investments, we must schedule them to earlier dates’
Sending out an appreciation and praising message to members of Turkey’s army forces, Erdoğan said the country ‘owed them a good economy’ so that they would be safe and financially fine ‘when they return from deployment and duty.’ Erdoğan added: “They (soldiers) want to find a productive Turkey. So, let alone postponing investments, we must schedule them to earlier dates. I support and congratulate everyone who has been giving all kinds of efforts in order for Turkey to grow and in order for us to reach our goals for 2023…”
‘We have the potential to feed both ourselves and our neighbors’
“There is a truth that crisis we have been facing have shown us: we must turn into a country that is capable to support itself and to export at the same time. Can we do that? Yes, for sure, with God’s willing. We must establish the necessary infrastructure. I am truly bothered by the fact that a country like Turkey has paid millions of dollars abroad for sectors of agriculture and breeding. We have the potential to feed both ourselves and our friends in our region… From machinery to tourism and health, we must take initiatives greater than and beyond the efforts to catch up with our losses… We are going to actualize creation of new Turkey all together with 80 million people in Turkey…”
‘Our national drink is ayran’
“…When I had said it for the first time, many attacked me for weeks. Now, I say it again: our national drink is ayran (yoghurt drink)…”