1/ “This is one of the most serious Iran sanctions violations we have seen” - U.S. Justice Dept. official on indictment of Turkey's Halkbank on sanctions violations. Important development via @EricLiptonNYT nyti.ms/32kU7lU
@EricLiptonNYT 2/ The charges against Halkbank come as Trump's administration "sought ways to project that it was taking a tough line with Turkey after Trump effectively signaled this month that the United States would not stand in the way of Turkey’s desire to send forces into northern Syria."
@EricLiptonNYT 3/ If the Halkbank case goes to trial in N.Y., it could mean a return to the witness stand for Reza #Zarrab, the Turkish-Iranian gold trader who pleaded guilty, has been cooperating with the U.S. and testified against a bank official, Hakan Atilla, who was convicted last year.
@EricLiptonNYT 4/ Reza #Zarrab 's testimony depicted high-level corruption in Turkey, riveted the Turkish public and strained relations with the U.S. Zarrab's testimony suggested Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while prime minister in 2012, approved the sanctions violations scheme
@EricLiptonNYT 5/ Before #Zarrab became a U.S. government witness, he was the subject of a massive campaign by Turkish president #Erdogan to have his criminal charges dropped. "We have to seek justice, for he is our citizen," Erdogan said of Zarrab in 2016.
@EricLiptonNYT /6 It was before #Zarrab began cooperating with the U.S. that Rudolph #Giuliani, an advisor and now lawyer to President Trump, tried to secure Zarrab's release, talking with U.S. officials and meeting with Erdogan and trying to negotiate a diplomatic deal.
@EricLiptonNYT 7/ It was recently reported that in a contentious 2017 meeting with President Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in the Oval Office, #Giuliani asked for help in securing Zarrab's release in a potential prisoner swap with Turkey. Tillerson objected; no swap occurred.
@EricLiptonNYT 8/ Turkish president Erdogan repeatedly raised the Halkbank case with Trump over the past year, pushing the U.S. not to indict the bank on grounds that to do so would unfairly expose Turkey to severe financial risks.
@EricLiptonNYT 9/ But on Tuesday, the same U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan (once led by @PreetBharara and now led by Geoffrey Berman) that had obtained Zarrab's cooperation and convicted Atilla, announced charges against the bank.
