Just when countries across the globe were embracing Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, the Turkish government did not appear to be interested in capitalizing on the ongoing surge in the value of the crypto market, as it went on to ban crypto assets in the country. The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey announced yesterday that any direct or indirect use of crypto in payments would be considered illegal.
However, it soon became clear that this decision did not sit well with everyone in Turkey. This included the opposition party’s leader, who took to Twitter to express his displeasure with the untimely ban on digital assets. The leader of the opposition party called out the government for doing so.
Government’s Crypto Ban Receives Backlash From Opposition leader
In an array of tweets, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu the leader of the country’s opposition party pointed out that the government was supposed to discuss with various stakeholders the repercussions of banning this booming market. He added,
“To whom did you consult your decision, O ruler? I will sit down and consult with all the stakeholders of this issue.”
In the above tweet, he was referring to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish president who has been time and again called out for carrying out an authoritarian government.
Furthermore, he shed light on how the crypto industry could aid in the emergence of “unicorn” firms in the country that would be worth more than $1 billion. The Turkish leader made these comments after speaking to stakeholders throughout the day. He further stated,
“They have no tolerance for young people. No no no!”
While Turkey could be losing big as the market is growing without any major hurdles, the country was firm about imposing a ban starting from 30 April 2021.