Turkish president: ban imperialist iPhone, buy Samsung!

by Daniel Petrov / Aug 14, 2018, 8:15 AM

The President of Turkey wants to ban iPhones for brands like Samsung

After the US slapped tariffs on Turkish goods and introduced sanctions to some of its officials, the local currency went into a freefall and has now lost about 40% of its value against the dollar since the beginning of the year.

Needless to say, the Turkish president is not impressed by these developments, and issued advice to his fellow countrymen to turn their foreign currency holdings or precious metals into local currency, thus staving off the rampant inflation. Adding to this battle cry, he now demands that the 80 million Turks swap iPhones for Samsung, or better yet, for the locally produced brand Venus. It is estimated that about 15% of the local mobile market share belongs to iPhones, and Apple was even in the running to supply millions of iPads for Turkish schools not long ago.

If they have the iPhone, there is Samsung on the other side

It's a tad funny that Apple is now the epitome of the "capitalist" America, replacing Coke as that symbol during the Cold War. China also underwent through a literal iPhone smashing last year during the South China Sea disputes with the US.

Turkish president: ban imperialist iPhone, buy Samsung!

Poor Tim Cook, between the trade war with China, and iPhones perceived as the quintessential American product to be banned now, there may be a lot more dinners written in his future.

source: FT

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80 Comments

1. NateDiaz

Posts: 1092; Member since: Mar 03, 2018

*Trump adding Turkey to the travel ban list*

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 8:19 AM 6

4. IT-Engineer

Posts: 579; Member since: Feb 26, 2015

Trump will bring the downfall of America by making enemies with the entire world.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 8:26 AM 37

19. piyath

Posts: 2445; Member since: Mar 23, 2012

Trump stands strong for his own country unlike sloppy Obama. He will not apologize and sell them the heart of USA for nickels and dimes like Obama did. Nope! If that is Trump's weakness, so be it. Patriots will stand together with him anyway and enemies will always oppose him. This is the nature of the world.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 9:37 AM 3

20. kiko007

Posts: 7521; Member since: Feb 17, 2016

He’s so patriotic alright. Except that time he went and sucked Putin off in front of everybody like some sort of budget porno. And that time he called nazis “very good people”. And... (This would go on far too long so I’ll stop) The man is the antithesis of patriotism.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 9:49 AM 8

65. audibot

Posts: 687; Member since: Jan 26, 2017

wasnt that obama bam bam when he leaned over holding his hand and said dont worry ill have more control and power when i get re-elected

posted on Aug 15, 2018, 1:20 AM 1

48. tedkord

Posts: 17478; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

Trump stands for Trump. Period. He sold the heart of the USA for help winning the election, and to keep the pee pee tape from coming out. Patriots would never stand with a man who colluded with an enemy nation to destabilize our democratic elections, and who cowtows to that despotic leader to this day.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 4:41 PM 0

51. Cicero

Posts: 1149; Member since: Jan 22, 2014

This is your problem: you see enemy everywhere. So are the Russians. Think about a small country where you, the Americans, are interfered in local politics for your own advantage / interest.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 5:47 PM 2

55. tedkord

Posts: 17478; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

I don't see enemies except where others attack or try to harm us. That's what Russia did in attacking our elections.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 7:45 PM 0

67. audibot

Posts: 687; Member since: Jan 26, 2017

are you kidding obama did that to every other country and yet its ok for him and its been going on for 20 plus years in usa politics and know its a problem, ob let it happen because he thought hill was gonna win fools

posted on Aug 15, 2018, 1:26 AM 0

66. audibot

Posts: 687; Member since: Jan 26, 2017

you are aware that the only people that colluded with a foreign nation was the dnc and Hillary paying turkey for intel and ex spys Russians that is the truth and yet no one holds that up and yet they say it like its normal, like sure Clinton gets 1/2 and billion in donations to a fund that goes to nothing and when she does not win all funds stop huuuummmmmmm

posted on Aug 15, 2018, 1:24 AM 0

24. strategic_developer

Posts: 1627; Member since: Jul 17, 2018

America is pretty much already the enemy of the entire world. But he wants to be friends with a country that is an enemy of the entire world. What a traitor and so are all those who voted for him.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 10:49 AM 4

72. xchatter

Posts: 44; Member since: Mar 25, 2013

You seem to be quite in the dark. The president is not invoking all these restrictions and bans. Furthermore he does not support all of them. I guess you have absolutely no idea how the US government works. :)

posted on Aug 15, 2018, 1:45 AM 0

17. piyath

Posts: 2445; Member since: Mar 23, 2012

This is not something new. Turkey always opposed US policies in their region for years now. This dictator of a president hated America from the begging. They are so friendly with Iran and they get all the military help from Iran and Russia. This is public knowledge. Turkey was not USA's friend.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 9:35 AM 2

29. Guaire

Posts: 893; Member since: Oct 15, 2014

Did you support Taliban and other Islamist groups in Afganistan at the past against Soviets? Check! Were you behind the fall of democracy in Iran? Check! Did you support Saddam Hussein against Iran? Check! Did you invade Iraq with made-up evidence and because of that hundreds of thousands civilian died? Check! Did you support rebellion in Syria, and combined with the chaos in Iraq thanks to you ISIS rose? Check! In fact USA and Europe both supported Erdogan in Turkey, despite the fact he is being a well known Islamist, against secular powers for years when he desperately needs it. That's your policies in the region. Also your public knowledge sucks. Where were you when Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet? Did you know when English peasants are still unaware of the New World, Turkish, Persians and Russians were waging wars. As a NATO member Turkish military completely consisted of Western standards. And Iran doesn't have military resources useful to Turkey. In fact Turkey gets most of the military help from Western world like USA, Germany, Italy etc. Erdogan and his supporters cherished by US policies, because CIA has decided that that radical muslims are better against Red Soviets. I guess Canada must not be a friend of the USA's also, since you slapped them with tariffs without any reason.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 11:10 AM 7

34. AxelFoley unregistered

"They get all their military help from Russia". You idiots need to go back to Trump University for a bigger refund than the $25 million he gave you originally. Afterwards, just stop making public comments on things you clearly are uneducated about. 1. Turkey hosts multiple US military bases, not Russian. 2. Turkey does foreign military sales with the US, not Russia. 3. Turkey used their US made F16 to shoot down a Russian a Russian plane in 2015. 4. Turkey is a member of NATO and gets no military help from Russia or Iran.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 11:54 AM 4

47. kucma

Posts: 88; Member since: Feb 01, 2017

“Turkey hosts multiple US military bases”? I don’t think there is a single country out there that “hosts” US military base willingly. They were forced into it one way or another and they are just another example of the US desire to control every single country in the world. Don’t think for a moment those US bases are there for anyone’s protection other that their own.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 4:17 PM 1

52. AxelFoley unregistered

Yes, they "host" them in the form of Status of Forces agreements. I don't "think" anything. Unlike you, I actually know. I know that the SOFA agreements include provisions for the US to hire and contract local workers and companies on those bases in order to keep them employed. I know that the US Department of Defense is the 3rd largest employer in Bavaria, Germany behind BMW Siemens. I know that prior to closing a base in Baumholder, Germany, the entire political leadership in that area flew to DC to lobby the Armed Services Committee to keep it open. I know that the businesses in the Republic of Korea organize a protest anytime there is a hint of a troop reduction. I know that the ROK Army has continuously delayed having a Korean General in charge of Combined Forces Command for fear that it would spark a troop reduction. I know S. Korea and Japan on on record being against Trump's idiotic cancellation of the KR and UFG Exvercises to please Kim Jung Un. Don't think for one moment that you actually know anything, because you are clueless. If the US in an occupying force, and the SOFAs are forced, then I guess the solution is to stop being weak and expel them. Your jealousy of a country doesn't change any fact laid out before you.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 7:04 PM 1

68. audibot

Posts: 687; Member since: Jan 26, 2017

they are there as a protection and part of defence, fool since they cant build weapons and jets and pay for protection from being taken over by other countries us, uk, germany and france put base's there as a means of payment we get to cover the area and they get protection and food and money.

posted on Aug 15, 2018, 1:32 AM 0

50. tedkord

Posts: 17478; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

Damn. I mean, you're usually wrong and get called out on it, but these guys just completely obliterated you.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 4:51 PM 0

75. babyk

Posts: 379; Member since: Nov 03, 2011

and the conversation stopped there LMAO

posted on Aug 15, 2018, 4:52 PM 0

80. htcisthebest

Posts: 438; Member since: Nov 15, 2011

So how do you define 'dictator'?

posted on Aug 15, 2018, 10:03 PM 0

2. cncrim

Posts: 1590; Member since: Aug 15, 2011

People will find way to buy what they want. Too bad Apple come under cross fire.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 8:21 AM 0

3. mahima

Posts: 743; Member since: Nov 20, 2014

let's ban iphone in India too...for no particular reason...lol

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 8:23 AM 5

30. SIGPRO

Posts: 2817; Member since: Oct 03, 2012

Overpriced crap should be banned everywhere!

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 11:11 AM 5

45. Humanoid

Posts: 1226; Member since: Dec 11, 2017

China will never ban Apple. All their phones have iphone as inspiration.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 3:21 PM 0

70. audibot

Posts: 687; Member since: Jan 26, 2017

but if they ban them then the copies will sell more

posted on Aug 15, 2018, 1:35 AM 0

5. Elvis358

Posts: 270; Member since: Mar 25, 2018

WoW -_-

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 8:35 AM 0

21. dmomintz

Posts: 68; Member since: Jan 21, 2016

lol, maybe Erdogon is secretly working for Apple's marketing department, because he just sold a crap ton of iphones with this dog and pony show. People will always want what you say they can't have, it's why capitalism eventually kicked communism's teeth in. SJW's probably just boosted sales of Doom Eternal by double since they started to whine publicly about it's obvious satire, so I'm not sure I see this situation playing out any differently.

posted on Aug 14, 2018, 10:04 AM 0

28. MarvzIsFallen

Posts: 646; Member since: Aug 11, 2017

Suggesting Samsung instead of iphones. Must be a good year to come for Samsung to get a decent profit profit, though they will always be second best to apple.