President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused his political opponents of making false claims about the banking system, saying that citizens had no problem withdrawing cash.

“Can you tell me who hasn’t been able to withdraw their money from the bank in the last 21 years?” Erdogan stated this to AHaber TV in an interview on Friday, speaking two days before the presidential elections. His statement was a response to Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who warned of banking problems if re-elected. “They are taking risks,” Erdogan said.

Imamoglu, who was chosen by the main opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu as vice president, said on Wednesday that another victory for Erdogan could trigger financial turmoil that would exacerbate the country’s cost-of-living crisis. “If we don’t want a banking crisis on Monday when no one can take their money, we have to work hard,” Imamoglu said in Istanbul.

Erdogan has come under fire for his unconventional economic views, which have exacerbated the problems in the economy. He received 49.5% of the vote in the 14 May primary, just short of the 50% threshold needed to win outright, giving him an edge over Kilicdaroglu’s 45%.

The banking regulator and the market regulator said those who spread such statements will be held accountable. Meanwhile, the Turkish Banks Association said that issues related to the banking sector should be “above politics”.

Since the first round of elections and after it, the Turkish currency has lost more than 1%, while expenses Turkey’s default risk insurance over the next five years rose to almost 690 basis points, the highest level since November, and increased by 172 basis points. from Friday.

The reserves of the Central Bank of Turkey for the week of May 12 decreased by $9 billion compared to the previous week to $105.1 billion. gold reserve decreased by $1.4 billion

According to Bloomberg