Turkey’s Halkbank working closely with US Treasury: CEO

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s Halkbank is working closely with the United States Treasury, its chief executive Osman Arslan said on May 23, after one of the bank’s executives was sentenced in the U.S. last week for aiding a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran.

“We have been closely working with the U.S. Treasury and the respective institutions. We have been in a healthy exchange of information and review process,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg HT, as quoted by Reuters.

He also said the bank expects to emerge from the process with the U.S. Treasury without any damage.

A former Halkbank banker was sentenced on May 16 to 32 months in a United States prison for plotting to help Iran evade American sanctions, in a much-contested case straining ties between Ankara and Washington.

Mehmet Hakan Atilla, 47, deputy chief executive of Turkish lender Halkbank, was convicted by a New York jury on Jan. 3 on five counts of bank fraud and conspiracy.

He was acquitted on one count of money laundering.

Judge Richard Berman handed down the sentence of 32 months in a Manhattan court on May 14.

U.S. prosecutors had wanted him put away for 20 years.

Atilla will be free to return to Turkey after serving his sentence.