Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters in Rize, Turkey August 10, 2018. Cem Oksuz/Presidential Palace/Handout via REUTERS

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan pledged on Friday to defend Turkey against economic attacks and said increasing production, exports and employment was the best response to the country’s challenges.

Speaking to a crowd in the northeastern city of Bayburt, Erdogan said Turkey was facing artificial financial volatility, but that people who get excited about interest rates and foreign exchange prices would not win.

The lira weakened after his comments. It was trading at 6.04 to the dollar at 1212 GMT, down around 8 percent on the day.