Ankara on Wednesday made it easier for foreigners to become Turkish citizens by cutting the financial and investment criteria required for citizenship, according to a decree from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Foreigners now only need to have $500,000 deposits in Turkish banks, down from $3 million before, while fixed capital investment was reduced from $2 million to $500,000, AFP reported, citing the decree published in the Official Gazette. Individuals can obtain citizenship if they employ 50 people, down from the previous 100, while those who own property worth $250,000 can become Turkish citizens, compared to the previous value of $1 million. The decree is the latest in a series in what appears to be a bid to prop up the embattled Turkish lira and the economy which slowed down in the second quarter.