By Wasim Saif al-Din

BEIRUT

The Turkish Embassy in Lebanon on Wednesday thanked the Lebanese people for launching solidarity campaigns for the Turkish lira, which has recently lost ground against the dollar amid a raft of newly-imposed U.S. sanctions.

“We thank the brotherly and friendly people of Lebanon for launching campaigns…in support of Turkey against the economic attacks the country is facing,” the embassy said in a statement.

Merchants in several Lebanese cities, including capital Beirut, have launched campaigns to support the Turkish economy, offering discounts to customers who make purchases in Turkish lira.

Turkey-U.S. are currently experiencing rocky relations since Washington imposed sanctions on Turkey’s interior and justice ministers last week after Ankara refused to release an American pastor who faces terrorism-related charges in Turkey.

Last Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from Turkey.