Businesses offer freebies in Turkish currency campaign

Many people in Turkey have their savings in dollars rather than lira

Businesses in Turkey have started offering free goods and services to people who heed a call from the country's president to convert US dollars into Turkish lira, it's reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants people to exchange their foreign currency savings to shore up the plunging lira, which has lost nearly one-fifth of its value against the dollar since the start of the year. He says that those behind the failed 15 July coup attempt are now trying to sabotage the economy, but some analysts suggest the government's subsequent crackdown has fuelled the financial instability.

The president's call prompted some small businesses to create incentives for customers to make the switch. Among them is a fish-seller in the capital, Ankara, who's offering 1kg (2.2lb) of free anchovies to anyone who can show that they've changed $100 (£79) into the local currency, the Daily Sabah website reports. Elsewhere there are free meals up for grabs, and one hair stylist is offering trims to people who exchange $300, the website notes.

The businesses taking part in the pro-lira initiative are diverse, as are the amounts involved. A marble cutter in north-western Bursa province is promising a free tombstone for customers who exchange $2,000. "We even place the tombstone in the graveyard," Enes Alan tells Hurriyet Daily News, adding that he wants to "defend" the lira. "Hopefully, our citizens will be able to solve their own problems with their own effort... We'll protect our country and our economy. We won't abandon it."

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