Iran press/Asia: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a business forum during a visit to Kyrgyzstan announced that Ankara would pursue non-dollar transactions in trade with Russia and other countries, adding recent US sanctions showed Washington was behaving like "wild wolves".
"America behaves like wild wolves. Don't believe them," Erdogan noted.
"Using the dollar only damages us. We will not give up. We will be victorious," Turkish President stated.
Ties between NATO members and Ankara hit a new low last month as US President Donald Trump announced steep new tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminium in response to the detention of an American pastor in Turkey.
"We need to gradually end the monopoly of the dollar once and for all by using local and national currency among us," Erdogan said.
Both Turkey and Russia are reeling from punitive economic measures imposed by the United States.
The Turkish lira has taken a severe dive since the beginning of the year, particularly last month. The currency lost more than 40 percent of its' value against the US dollar amid macroeconomic concerns and the diplomatic showdown between the US and Turkey over the detention of an American pastor.
Russia meanwhile saw its' ruble tumble to two-year lows in August after the US announced fresh sanctions in connection with a nerve agent poisoning incident in the British city of Salisbury.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also used the visit to Kyrgyzstan to demand the Central Asian country of six million people relinquish all ties to Fethullah Gulen, a US-based cleric and educator Ankara accuses of fomenting a coup in 2016.
Erdogan said Turkish businesses should invest in Kyrgyzstan but "may face barriers from FETO," the term Ankara uses to describe the network of people and institutions linked to Gulen.
The refusal of the United States to extradite 77-year-old Gulen to face trial in Turkey is one of several sore points that have plagued a once-strong bilateral relationship.
Turkey accuses Gulen of masterminding a military coup attempt in July 2016. Gulen denies the accusation.
Turkey launched a massive crackdown after the coup, resulting in about 50,000 arrests and the dismissal of more than 110,000 people from state jobs.
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