Erdogan said on Monday that the attack on the economy is no different from the attack on the national flag or a call to prayer, adding that Turkish people are able to overcome all the hurdles the country is facing.
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"There is no difference between attacking our economy and attacking our flag. The goal is the same: to bring Turkey and the Turkish people to their knees, to enslave them. We are a people who prefer coming to blows over bowing our heads. Very soon those who believe that they will manage to force Turkey to surrender using the exchange rate will understand that they were mistaken," Erdogan said in a pre-recorded address to the Turkish people ahead of the start of the four-day holiday.
Erdogan has blamed the crash of the lira on the US claiming a political, underhand plot had sent the value of country's currency falling to record lows.
Earlier, Turkey's national currency lost almost 20 percent of its value, after the United States has imposed sanctions on two Turkish government ministers and doubled tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum imports over the continued detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson on espionage and terror-related charges.
Turkey retaliated with some $533 million of tariffs on US imports — including cars, tobacco and alcoholic drinks — and threatened to boycott US electronic goods, above all iPhones.
