Article here: http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?i...41&cat_id=1

Different article with pictures is here: http://www.aede.org/index.php?id=turkish_lire

Don't think that vending machines are an issue here. As the first article says, the Turkish lira pieces have been around for a few years, and machine operators have adjusted the recognition procedures. In my opinion it's the casual use of such coins (say, in a busy supermarket or a pub/bar) that may cause problems. And that is certainly a bigger problem in an environment where the euro and the lira are "neighbors" as close as in Cyprus.

By the way, it's not just the 1 lira coin that is a euro (€2) lookalike. The 50 kurus piece closely resembles a €1 coin.

Christian