Turkey lira: Ankara to boycott US electronic goods

**President Erdogan has accused the US of seeking to "stab [Turkey] in the back"- Photo: Reuters **

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip

Erdogan has said his country will boycott US electronic products, after

Washington imposed punitive sanctions on Ankara.

"If [the US] has

the iPhone, there's Samsung on the other side," Mr Erdogan said,

referring to Apple and its South Korean competitor.

The US doubled tariffs last week over Turkey's refusal to extradite a US pastor who is imprisoned there

.

Turkey's weakened currency, the lira, plunged by a full 20% in response.

President

Erdogan said Turkey was taking measures to stabilise the economy, and

should not "give in to the enemy" by investing in foreign currencies.

Russia's

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is visiting Ankara, branded the US

sanctions an illegitimate policy at a news conference on Tuesday. He

accused the US of seeking an unfair competitive advantage in global

trade.