Turkey Issues Diplomatic Note to Washington Regarding Reza Zarrab

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a diplomatic note to the Washington government concerning Reza Zarrab, the Iranian-Turkish businessman detained in the U.S., requesting clarification on his status and information regarding any transfers between prisons in the country. According to reports from Ankara's news agencies and media, the Turkish embassy in Washington presented this diplomatic note to the U.S. Department of State on Wednesday, November 15, and emphasized that it will continue to follow up on the matter. Based on the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' report, Mr. Zarrab was recently threatened in the detention facility where he is held, which apparently led to his transfer to another section in the U.S. prison system. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons' website reported last week that Reza Zarrab had been released since November 8, but the U.S. Attorney's Office insisted that this information was incorrect and that the accused remains in custody. The U.S. Attorney's Office has informed Turkish media that Reza Zarrab is still in federal custody. Reza Zarrab, known as a currency trader, has been held in a U.S. prison since April 2016 on charges of helping Iran evade sanctions, particularly through collaborations with Babak Zanjani, a wealthy Iranian businessman. Mr. Zarrab was arrested in March 2016 upon arriving on a flight to Miami, Florida. His trial, in which he has denied all charges, is set to begin on November 27 in New York. Alongside Reza Zarrab, Hakan Atilla, the deputy executive of the Turkish Halkbank, is also accused in this case. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized in its diplomatic note to the U.S. government that Mr. Zarrab's lawyers must have access to him and that clarifying his status is important ahead of the start of his trial. Rudy Giuliani, the former influential mayor of New York and a prominent lawyer, is among Mr. Zarrab's legal team for the upcoming trial in New York. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other officials have repeatedly called for Reza Zarrab's release from U.S. prison. However, two weeks ago, the U.S. Attorney's Office accused Mr. Zarrab of having connections with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and being a partner in a scheme to extradite Erdoğan's most prominent opponent from the U.S. to Turkey. U.S. media have claimed that a proposal from the Turkish government to American General Michael Flynn was to take actions in exchange for $15 million that would lead to Fethullah Gülen's extradition from the U.S. to Turkey. According to these alleged reports, the 'bribe' money was supposed to be funneled through Reza Zarrab to General Flynn. Mr. Erdoğan and the Turkish government accuse Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish cleric residing in the U.S., of orchestrating the military coup attempt in Turkey a year and a half ago and other actions aimed at undermining Ankara's sovereignty. General Flynn served as the White House National Security Advisor for only about a month at the beginning of Donald Trump's presidency before being dismissed by the U.S. President. Reza Zarrab, 34 years old and born in Tabriz, was detained in Turkey for seventy days before his trip to the U.S. and subsequent arrest at Miami airport, but the Turkish court acquitted him. Mr. Zarrab's wealth, particularly from gold trading, is estimated to be nearly $80 million. In addition to his Iranian and Turkish citizenship, he is also considered a citizen of Azerbaijan. Babak Zanjani, Reza Zarrab's Iranian partner, has been in Evin prison for four years and was sentenced to death last year in Iran for corruption; his sentence has yet to be carried out.