Erdogan to Boycott iPhones as Turkey’s Feud with U.S. Escalates

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-14/erdogan-vows-to-boycott-u-s-electronic-goods-amid-pastor-spat

34 16 8 years ago

lainga• 8 years ago

Of note: Erdogan has said the boycott is not just him, but Turkey-wide. Good luck!

FrozenTuna• 8 years ago

I'm genuinely curious how many iPhones are sold in Turkey. Important to note, I just read that Turkey already had the 2nd most expensive iPhones in the world, behind Brazil, due to tariffs.

laaph• 8 years ago

iPhones are still in almost every phone store in Turkey. I think they've been selling slower due to the currency fluctuations, a few years ago they'd cost 2000TL, now they cost 5000TL, and I last checked a few months ago when it was still 4.5ish to the dollar, so I expect they will be more expensive next time I check.

batuhanicoz• 8 years ago

It's easily the second most popular brand after Samsung.

genieyclo• 8 years ago

I guess he's going to WhatsApp dial-in to CNN Turk for next time?

craftyguy• 8 years ago

It would be more effective to sanction the Trump Organization in Turkey [1].

1. https://www.trump.com/real-estate-portfolio/istanbul/trump-t...

drivingmenuts• 8 years ago

I suspect he's doing this because Apple is a very visible symbol of the US in Turkey. He's taking away a thing to get people worked up so he can point to us and say "Look what they made me do to you! It's on them, not me!"

Sanctioning Trump businesses doesn't really earn him political capital at home with the rank and file, because they probably wouldn't even recognize it. They can't afford anything to do with Trump real estate.

But iPhones? They're everywhere-ish.

tinus_hn• 8 years ago

He’s not taking anything away, just asking others to not buy iPhones. Erdogan doesn’t have that kind of power, at least not yet.

Anyway this is just a diversion to shift attention away from his own behavior causing the lira to collapse.

jakeogh3• 8 years ago

That's even less strategic value. Trump is not kidding when he says "[country he represents] first"; hence dropping sanctions because Turkey grabbed some of his property makes no sense.

mrguyorama• 8 years ago

Is there really a feud between the US and Turkey? Erdogan brought thugs onto US soil and had them beat up American protestors, and nothing came of it.

jakeogh3• 8 years ago

I wouldn't expect a reaction to that to happen publicly. I would be surprised if I saw those same security people invited here again... Generally, geopolitical things don't happen for one reason. We just attacked their currency. 3LA sponsored presidents would never be able act like this. Extraordinary times.

handsomechad• 8 years ago

what does 3LA mean?

unstatusthequo• 8 years ago

Only hurts Turkish residents. Self imposed technology tariff.

DEADBEEFC0FFEE• 8 years ago

Crazy, egotistical, lying, power mad, popularist, bully has a tantrum and blames external events for internal problems, trying to deflect critisism.

izacus• 8 years ago

And now he did the worst thing of all: insulted our favourite corporation and caused a tiny loss of revenue. Unforgivable.

Erdogan to Boycott iPhones as Turkey’s Feud with U.S. Escalates

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