The United States criminally charges a major Turkish bank with helping to evade sanctions against Iran, potentially raising diplomatic tensions as the US tries to contain Turkey’s military offensive in Syria.
The charges against Halkbank, a state-owned bank, are announced years after a wealthy gold trader was arrested in Florida. Before pleading guilty and testifying against a co-defendant, the Turkish-Iranian businessman, Reza Zarrab, hired Rudy Giuliani to lobby the administration of US President Donald Trump to drop the charges as part of a prisoner exchange.
In a release, US Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said senior officials at Halkbank had designed and carried out the scheme to move billions of dollars of Iranian oil revenue illegally.
People walk by a branch of the Turkish bank Halkbank in Istanbul on December 1, 2017. (AFP Photo/Ozan Kose)
The timing of the charges could be significant as the Trump administration tries to press Turkey to limit its military incursions in Syria, a move Trump himself allowed by declaring US troops would be withdrawn.
The US imposed limited sanctions on Turkey this week and has threatened more. While the charges against Halkbank are not related, they could give the US leverage as Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser Robert O’Brien travel to Turkey today.
— AP
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