The lira stood at 6.1450 against the dollar at 0652 GMT, weakening some 0.8% from Wednesday's close of 6.0945. Earlier, it weakened as far as 6.1510.

Defence Minister Hulusi Akar on Tuesday said Turkey was preparing for potential U.S. sanctions over its purchase of the S-400s, even while he said there was some improvement in talks with the United States over buying F-35 fighter jets.