Turkey takes aim at Apple

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said Turkey would boycott US electronic goods like the iPhone in retaliation for punitive sanctions from Washington, as the Turkish lira finally clawed back some ground after going into a tailspin over the tensions.

The dispute between the NATO allies -- brought to a new intensity by Turkey’s holding of an American pastor for two years -- has raised questions over the future of their partnership and fanned fears of a looming economic crisis in Turkey.

“We will boycott US electronic goods,” Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara, again showing no sign of compromise in the dispute. “If (the United States) have the iPhone, there’s Samsung on the other side,” he said, referring to US giant Apple’s iconic phone and the top South Korean brand.

“We (also) have our Venus and Vestel,” he said about homegrown Turkish electronics brands. Shares in Vestel zoomed up seven percent on the Istanbul stock exchange after Erdogan’s remarks.