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US justice accuses Turkish public bank Halkbank of circumventing sanctions against Iran. The facts would have taken place between 2012 and 2016. The accusation risks exacerbating tensions between Washington and Ankara.
According to a statement from the US Department of Justice, Halkbank is being prosecuted for fraud, money laundering and obstruction of US sanctions against Iran. The Turkish bank, bypassing the sanctions, would have allowed Iran to benefit from billions of dollars of funds by selling oil and gas products.
According to the US prosecutor's office, millions of dollars of bribes have also been distributed to some Turkish government officials as part of these operations. The same charges last year were 32 months in prison for Mehmet Hakan Atilla, former Deputy Director of Halkbank. The conviction of the New York court was then sharply criticized by Turkey.
These new accusations by US prosecutors against Halkbank come at a time when relations between Turkey and the United States are very tense. Washington, which opposes the Turkish offensive against the Kurds in northeastern Syria, has already announced a series of sanctions against Ankara. The US Congress even threatens to vote other punitive measures.