Turkish president Recep Erdogan offers free fish, tombstones, haircuts to prop up Lira

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered free haircuts, scientific funding, fish, tombstones, among other incentives to Turks who answer his call to convert their dollars to the Turkish lira.

Erdogan calls comes, following the recent weakness in the Turkish Lira which he cast as a plot by outside powers to destroy the economy, as he urged Turks to convert any dollars “under their pillows” into lira, and also called on businesses to do more transactions in local currency.

Speaking on Saturday, during the opening of a shopping centre in Istanbul, Erdogan said in his speech;

“Since the crisis operation is being carried out through foreign currency, we must use our own currency wherever we can.”

“It is now time to take hold of our economy, just as we took hold of our freedom on July 15,” he said, referring to the failed coup attempt in July where more than 240 people were killed.

In response to Erdogan's call, some shopkeepers and traders have started offering free goods and services to anyone with proof they sold their dollars.

Also several restaurants and barber shops in Istanbul suburbs have been offering free lunches and hair cuts to their customers with a receipt showing they had sold their dollars. 

According to report, a university in the eastern city of Van is advertising funding for foreign research for the first five people to convert $20,000.

The Turkish lira has lost a fifth of its value this year and hit by a resurgent dollar. It is also in its worst month since the 2008 financial crisis in November.

Reuters