Free fish for forex: Istanbul restaurant joins currency campaign

Breaking Headlines
2018-08-17 | 14:27
High views
Share
LBCI
Share
LBCI
Whatsapp
facebook
Twitter
Messenger
telegram
telegram
print
Free fish for forex: Istanbul restaurant joins currency campaign
LBCI
Watch now
More details about online video viewing packages
Whatsapp
facebook
Twitter
Messenger
telegram
telegram
print
Whatsapp
facebook
Twitter
Messenger
telegram
telegram
print
3min
Free fish for forex: Istanbul restaurant joins currency campaign
Istanbul's beloved fish sandwiches, a staple street food in the Bosphorus city, are being offered for free to Turks who heed President Tayyip Erdogan's call to sell their dollars for lira.
 
The offer is just one of many by vendors across Turkey who are backing Erdogan's appeal to nationalist sentiment, giving out anything from orchids, petrol or a three-day hotel stay for those who show dollar exchange receipts.
 
If customers can show a slip proving they exchanged $100 dollars into Turkish lira, Adnan Celiker, an Istanbul restaurateur, will hand over his fish sandwiches, or "balik ekmek", for nothing.
 
"The aim here is to make our voice heard and show our reaction," said Celiker, who runs a waterfront store on the Anatolian side of Istanbul where diners can enjoy their meal sitting on a nearby boat.
 
Celiker's restaurant's Facebook page touts the offer with a picture showing a raised fist emblazoned with the Turkish flag above a cowering $100 bill.
 
Erdogan has called on people to support the weakened lira by exchanging gold and foreign currency, citing an "economic war" being waged against Turkey.
 
The lira hit a record low of 7.24 to the dollar this week after losing nearly half its value this year, as investors fretted over Erdogan's influence over monetary policy and a dispute with the United States.
 
It has since pulled back a little to under 6 lira to the dollar.
 
Despite the lira campaign, foreign currency deposits held by local investors in Turkey rose by $1.3 billion to $159.9 billion last week, central bank data showed on Thursday.
 
Turkish media have given extensive coverage to anti-U.S. protests, including videos on social media showing Turks apparently burning dollar bills and destroying iPhones.
 
A barbershop in eastern Turkey announced it will stop offering "American style" haircuts. The hashtag "Boycott USA" was the number one trending topic on Thursday morning and, later, "Turkey Will Prevail."
 
In Istanbul's Iskiklal Street, a popular tourist district, a group of men strummed the saz, a long-necked lute, and sang in front of Turkish flags. "America you exploited us for years," they sang. "America the murderer, America the murderer."
 
 
 
 
REUTERS
 
 
 
To watch the full report, please clcik on the video above.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Breaking Headlines

Istanbul

Turkey

Lira

Currency

Economy

LBCI Next
Grand Mufti Derian travels to Saudi Arabia for Hajj
Download now the LBCI mobile app
To see the latest news, the latest daily programs in Lebanon and the world
Google Play
App Store
We use
cookies
We use cookies to make
your experience on this
website better.
Accept
Learn More