Halkbank to appear in US court in sanctions case
Turkish state lender Halkbank has agreed to enter a formal plea of not guilty to criminal charges that it helped Iran evade U.S. sanctions, backing down from its previous refusal to answer the allegations, a lawyer for the bank said Tuesday.
- Türkiye
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 10:30 | 26 February 2020
- Modified Date: 10:31 | 26 February 2020
Turkish state lender Halkbank will be arraigned in a U.S. court next week to face a federal indictment for alleged evading Iran sanctions.
The bank was represented by the law firm of King & Spalding at a hearing Tuesday and attorneys said it agreed to appear at the proceedings.
Halkbank was charged in October with attempts to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran.
A court in early December denied Halkbank's request to make a "special and limited appearance" to have the case dropped without having to formally participate in the proceedings.
District Court Judge Richard Berman asked King and Spalding to have a written authorization from the bank to proceed.
Halkbank's arraignment is scheduled March 3.
In July, Hakan Atilla, 48, the former deputy director-general at the Turkish state lender, was released from a federal prison. He was sentenced in May 2018 in New York for violating U.S. sanctions on Iran.