The continuing collapse of the Syrian pound has pushed the Syrian Interim Government to introduce the Turkish lira to areas they control writes Alsouria Net.

The opposition Syrian Interim Government has begun the first steps to replace the Syrian pound with the Turkish lira for trading operations in the northern and eastern Aleppo countrysides, in light of the record collapse of the Syrian pound’s exchange rate at the current time.

Speaking to Alsouria Net, the Interim Government’s Minister of Economic and Finance, Abdel Hakim al-Masri, said that small Turkish banknotes had been put forward in the “liberated areas” as part of a plan to trade the Turkish lira, adding that any plan to trade a specific currency needed small, available cash and without that it would be “difficult.”

Masri added: “Therefore, banknotes and coins of one lira, a quarter, and a half lira are being secured for ease of transaction … Making it available is one of the first steps to trading easily in the Turkish lira while preserving dealing in dollars.”

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.