Turkey's Erdogan tells ministers to stop using U.S. firm McKinsey

Turkey's Erdogan tells ministers to stop using U.S. firm McKinsey [Courtesy]

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday he had ordered his ministers to stop receiving consulting services from U.S. firm McKinsey, after a government deal with it came under fire from the main opposition.

Last month, Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, who is also Erdogan's son-in-law, said Turkey had decided to work with McKinsey to help implement a new medium-term economic programme.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), this week accused Erdogan of siding with U.S. firms at a time when relations with Washington have been hit by the detention of an American pastor in Turkey and other issues.

Albayrak had defended the agreement with McKinsey earlier this week, saying anyone who did not want Turkey to work with McKinsey was "either ignorant or a traitor."

On Saturday, Erdogan appeared to have scrapped the deal, however.

"This person (Kilicdaroglu) is trying to corner us by asking questions about a consultancy firm that has been paid in full to help our economic management," Erdogan told members of his ruling AK Party.