Turkish banker convicted of helping Iran evade US sanctions
NEW YORK (AP) — A banker accused of helping Iran evade economic sanctions was convicted Wednesday in a case that strained ties between the United States and Turkey with its testimony about corruption at the highest levels of the NATO ally's government.
Mehmet Hakan Atilla, a 47-year-old deputy general manager at Turkey's state-run Halkbank, was charged by U.S. authorities with taking part in a complex scheme in which Iran traded its oil and gas for gold, with some of the proceeds moved through U.S. financial institutions without their knowledge.
He was stoic as the guilty verdicts were read on four conspiracy counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, plus one bank fraud count.