A money changer counts U.S. dollar bills, with Turkish lira banknotes in the background, at an currency exchange office in central Istanbul, Turkey, August 21, 2015. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

ANKARA (Reuters) - The United States continues to be a solid friend and ally of Turkey despite ongoing tensions between the NATO allies, the U.S. Embassy in Ankara said on Tuesday, adding that the two countries had an active economic relationship.

In a tweet, the Embassy also slammed Turkish media reports citing a U.S. official saying Turkey’s lira currency would weaken to 7 against the dollar as “made up and baseless”, after the currency hit a series of record lows on Monday on the back of trade threats from Washington and a deepening diplomatic row.