International support backing Turkey for standing up against recent U.S. sanctions continues, with many friends of the country exchanging their currencies for Turkish lira and announcing plans to visit the country for vacation.
A number of Kuwaiti citizens, by holidaying in Turkey or simply buying the Turkish lira, expressed their support for Turkey's currency, which has been recently targeted by speculators with the U.S. sanctions. At exchange offices throughout the country, Kuwaitis have been purchasing the Turkish lira as a means of showing support for Turkey's economy. Mohamed al-Samri, a Kuwaiti national, recently purchased the Turkish lira in advance of an upcoming holiday in Turkey.
"This year, my visit will be of special importance," al-Samri said, noting that he had already visited Turkey's northeastern Trabzon province.
The support for Turkey came amid a recent row with the U.S., as the latter announced economic steps against Ankara over the detainment of American pastor Andrew Brunson over alleged terror-linked charges.
Mashaal al-Abdan, another Kuwaiti national, said that he, too, planned to help Turkey by investing in the Turkish lira.
"Turkey will eventually overcome its current economic problems," al-Abdan predicted.
Abu Hashem, a Syrian national who lives in Kuwait, said that he had also recently purchased the lira.
"Under the current circumstances, we must stand with Turkey," he said.
Mina Girgus, who works at a foreign-exchange bureau in Kuwait, said that the demand for the lira had increased and that many people, depending on their budgets, had opted to buy the Turkish currency. Girgus noted that people of various nationalities, not only Kuwaitis, were buying the Turkish currency, prompting the lira's value to rise early this week.
"Flights to Turkey are fully booked; it's hard to make reservations," Kemal Kebse, director of Saudi Arabia's Flynas Airlines, said, adding that ticket prices had also increased due to rising demand.
Meanwhile, the Ummah Turk-Arab Cooperation Association has launched a solidarity campaign in a bid to show its support for Turkey.
In a statement, the association called on Arab companies, and the Arab people, to stand with Turkey. As part of the campaign, 10 million people have been asked to buy the Turkish lira, boycott U.S. products and avoid making dollar-denominated purchases. The campaign also calls on businesses to transfer their funds from U.S. to Turkish banks and relocate their investments from the U.S. to Turkey.
On social media, Juman al-Harbesh, a Kuwaiti lawmaker, stated: "The economic war [against Turkey] will not be able to achieve what the defeated [2016] coup could not accomplish."
"The economic war against Turkey has reached a new level. Should this war meet its objectives, all countries of the region, and their people, would be adversely affected," Faisal al-Muslim, a former Kuwaiti parliamentarian, said on social media.
"We are obliged to defend the Muslim nation of Turkey and its people," he added.
Indonesian scholars support Turkey, ErdoğanThe Indonesian Council of Ulama (Muslim scholars) also expressed strong support for Turkey yesterday.
The head of the council's external affairs committee, Muhyiddin Junaidi, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they support Turkey and Erdoğan's stance against the U.S.
Stressing that the U.S. targeted Muslim countries and tried to curb Turkey's power in the region, Junaidi said that Muslim world must use their own currency in trade among themselves against the U.S. dollar. Junaidi praised Turkey's economy and its commercial value, and added that Turkey would overcome the U.S.' attacks.
Turkish Embassy thanks Lebanese for backing liraThe Turkish Embassy in Lebanon thanked the Lebanese people yesterday, for launching solidarity campaigns for the Turkish lira.
"We thank the brotherly and friendly people of Lebanon for launching campaigns...in support of Turkey against the economic attacks the country is facing," the embassy said in a statement. Merchants in several Lebanese cities, including capital Beirut, have launched campaigns to support the Turkish economy, offering discounts to customers who make purchases in Turkish liras.
Turkish NGOs voices
support for governmentSupport from within the country for the state's stance in the crisis with the U.S. also continues with a platform of 290 Turkish nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) voicing support for the Turkish government.
In a declaration issued on Tuesday, the National Will Platform called for unity and solidarity in the face of economic attacks.
"We respectfully announce to the public our steadfast support for our government and president amid this economic war against our country," the declaration read. The platform accused the U.S. of attempting to interfere in Turkey's "judiciary by imposing economic sanctions and manipulating exchange rates." The platform has also called on Turkish citizens to remain calm and confident in the face of economic hardship.