On Tuesday, though, he turned against Apple, delivering a nationalist broadside in calling for a boycott of American electronics products, the latest salvo in a widening dispute between Washington and Ankara.
When Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, sought to fend off a coup attempt two years ago, he appealed to his supporters via FaceTime, the Apple video chat app.
On Tuesday, though, he turned against Apple, delivering a nationalist broadside in calling for a boycott of American electronics products, the latest salvo in a widening dispute between Washington and Ankara.
The tension between the two countries initially centered on the detention of Andrew Brunson, an American pastor, but it has since expanded considerably, heightening trade tensions and raising fears of the possible effects on other emerging markets.
The clash has coincided with a worsening economic crisis in Turkey. The country’s currency, the lira, has fallen sharply, dropping more than 25 percent in the past week to a record low, though it recovered somewhat Tuesday. Inflation, meanwhile, is accelerating and investors — fearful of mismanagement as Erdogan takes an increasingly active role in the economy — have sold off Turkish debt.
Undeterred, the Turkish leader has railed against the United States and blamed foreigners for the dire state of the economy.
“Every product that we buy in foreign currency from outside, we will produce them here and sell abroad,” Erdogan said during a speech in Ankara, drawing applause and cheers. “We will boycott the electronics products of the U.S.”
“If they have the iPhone, there is Samsung” as an alternative, he continued, referring to Apple’s principal rival in the smartphone business.
The comments by the Turkish leader were particularly remarkable given that he and several of his top ministers are frequently seen with iPhones. In mid-2016, as he battled the coup attempt, Erdogan used FaceTime to call for his supporters to take to the streets.
His speech Tuesday nevertheless largely reiterated many of the nationalist remarks he has made in recent days, seeking to rally support against U.S. sanctions and other pressure.
“The Turkish nation has many times shown that if its independence and its future was at risk, it would put forward its life, its property and all its wealth,” Erdogan said. “We will stand against the dollar, currency rates, inflation, interest rates. I believe in my nation.”
He then repeated his call for Turks to trade in their dollars for lira to help shore up the currency.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.