Erdogan lashes out at Financial Times over report on economy

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey’s president has lashed out at the Financial Times and other western media, accusing them of falsely portraying the economy as being on the brink of collapse.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke Thursday after the Financial Times reported that Turkey’s Central Bank had bolstered its foreign currency reserves with short-term borrowed money, leading to concerns that Turkey may not be able to defend itself in the event of a currency crisis. The Turkish lira weakened some 2% against the dollar following the report.

Erdogan insisted the economy “is standing strong.” He claimed Turkey was being attacked because it was speaking out against injustices, including about refugees.

Erdogan said: “Oh Financial Times! What do you know about Turkey which hosts 4 million refugees? How many refugees are there in your country?”