Mehmet Hakan Atilla, executive at majority state-owned Halkbank, convicted in case that fueled diplomatic tensions between US and Turkey. A US jury has found a Turkish banker guilty of helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions, after a nearly four-week trial that has strained diplomatic relations between the United States and Turkey.
Mehmet Hakan Atilla, an executive at Turkey’s majority state-owned Halkbank, was convicted on five of six counts he faced, including bank fraud and conspiracy, in Manhattan federal court.
Atilla was also found not guilty on a money laundering charge. Jurors issued their verdict on the fourth day of deliberations.
Halkbank had no immediate comment. However it is expected Halkbank to make a deal with US authorities make a deal like other banks which had done the same previously in order not to be banned from the international banking activities.
