Turks destroy their iPhones with sledgehammers and pour Coca-Cola down the toilet after President Erdogan told them to boycott US goods over US’s sanctions
Turks are smashing their iPhones
with sledgehammers, shooting them at point plank range, and setting them
on fire after president Erdogan called for a boycott of US's techs.
In a fiery speech on Wednesday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the boycott in response to U.S. sanction against the country over the detention of an American pastor Andrew Brunson on
terrorism-related charges.
He warned the U.S. it would turn to domestically produced goods or rival firms in South East Asia in retaliation.
You know Turks, they quickly followed his lead, destroying their American devices en-masse and posting the footage on social media in protest.
We will boycott U.S. electronic goods, Erdogan said in a televised speech, raising the stakes in a spat that has seen the Turkish lira plunge to record lows.
If (the U.S.) have the iPhone, there’s Samsung on the other side, he said, referring to U.S. giant Apple’s phone and the top South Korean brand.
We (also) have our Venus and Vestel, he said about homegrown Turkish electronics brands.
You know Turks, they quickly followed his lead, destroying their American devices en-masse and posting the footage on social media in protest.
In one video, a man addresses the camera while
four boys kneel in front of a Turkish flag in the background, then hand
him their phones so he can smash them.
He asked President Trump ‘who do you think
you are’, adding: ‘If you threaten us with hunger you will only make us
laugh. Do whatever in your power’.
The man them smashed each phone with the
sledgehammer before saying:
In another video, Turkish Nationalist Movement Party MP Cemal Enginyurt buys a Samsung phone as his colleague throws his iPhone on the floor and jumps on it.
Other videos included a man shooting his iPhone at close range with a gun, a phone being burned in a box of matchsticks, and a boy dumping Coca-Cola down the toilet.
Look now what will happen to you iPhones on the orders’ of Erdogan.
In another video, Turkish Nationalist Movement Party MP Cemal Enginyurt buys a Samsung phone as his colleague throws his iPhone on the floor and jumps on it.
The U.S. is being dragged across the floor, the second lawmaker said as he smashed the phone.
Other videos included a man shooting his iPhone at close range with a gun, a phone being burned in a box of matchsticks, and a boy dumping Coca-Cola down the toilet.
Relations between the two NATO allies have plummeted in one of their worst crises in decades after the detention of U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson on terror-related charges, sending the Turkish lira into free fall against the dollar.
The lira’s plunge – which had been ongoing
for weeks – was turned into a rout on Friday when U.S. President Donald
Trump tweeted that Washington was doubling aluminium and steel tariffs
for Turkey.
Turkish Airlines also announced on Twitter that it would join a campaign circulating on social media with a hashtag #ABDyeReklamVerme (don’t give ads to America).
Turkish Airlines also announced on Twitter that it would join a campaign circulating on social media with a hashtag #ABDyeReklamVerme (don’t give ads to America).
Erdogan said Turkey was facing an ‘economic attack’ and a ‘bigger, deeper operation’ but showed no sign of making concessions to the United States.
They don’t hesitate to use the economy as a weapon, he said.
What do you want to do? What do you want to achieve, he added, referring to the US.
Erdogan admitted the Turkish economy had problems – including a widening current account deficit and inflation of almost 16 percent but added: ‘Thanks to God, our economy is functioning like clockwork.’