Erdoğan calls on African nations to trade in local currencies

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called on African countries to trade and do joint businesses with Turkey using local currencies.

“Let’s save our trade from risks posed by foreign currencies,” he said at the Turkey-Africa Economy and Business Forum in Istanbul on Oct. 10.

He stressed that they have to take steps to save their countries from currency pressure.

“We prioritized this issue [trading in local currencies] as the country faced speculative attacks recently,” the president said.

Erdoğan added that it is important to believe that alternative ways are possible.

“We are ready to enhance our trade relations using local currencies, not only with our main trade partners but also with our African friends,” he added.

Turkey has been pushing for trade in local currencies, accusing the U.S. administration of using the dollar as a tool to attack other countries’ economies.