Erdogan calls on Turks to convert dollar, euros into lira

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announces his ruling AK Party's manifesto for next month's election in Ankara, Turkey, May 24, 2018. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called on Turks on Saturday to convert their dollar and euro savings into lira, as he sought to bolster the ailing currency which has lost some 20 percent of its value against the U.S. currency this year.

"My brothers who have dollars or euros under their pillow. Go and convert your money into lira. We will thwart this game together," Erdogan said at a rally in the eastern city of Erzurum ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections on June 24.

(Reporting by Daren Butler; Editing by Toby Chopra)