Turkish lira falls with announcement of Bakhjili not to alliance with Erdogan in elections

NEWS DESK

The Turkish lira has fell on Tuesday to 5.8475 to the dollar by 08.57 GMT compared to Monday's close of 5.6640 lira.

The currency has lost about 35 % of its value against the dollar this year as a result of concern over the central bank's ability to curb double-digit inflation in the face of criticism from Erdogan and a dispute with Washington.

The Nationalist Movement Party led by Dawlat Bahjili supported Erdogan in the presidential election in June 2018, and was the main reason for fraud and manipulation, in his winning for the first round of maturity, which was a major challenge to him. But he announced on Tuesday the exit of the existing alliance between them currently during the local elections in 2019.

Bhahjili comments come after a row with Erdogan over the National Party's call for amnesty for some prisoners.

But the controversy has been evident since Ankara released the American priest Andrew Branson, when Bahjili pointed out that Erdogan had cost his country a heavy price before finally releasing the priest.

Bahjili said "You can not trust a president who declined Turkey's value with a US priest," adding that "the decision has hurt national sentiment."

H/S

ANHA