Turkish Banker Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison for Violating Iran Sanctions

Mehmet Hakan Atilla, a Turkish banker from the state-owned Halkbank, was sentenced to 32 months in prison on Wednesday, May 15, in a New York court for violating sanctions against Iran. The 47-year-old Atilla received his sentence from the presiding judge in Manhattan. This case has led to political tensions between the U.S. and Turkey, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan calling it a 'political attack.' Prosecutors had sought a 20-year prison sentence for Atilla, who was the deputy general manager of Halkbank. However, the defense team argued in court that, according to federal guidelines, any conviction should be between 46 to 57 months and requested a significantly lower sentence. On January 3, Atilla was found guilty of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran and assisting Tehran in circumventing these sanctions. His defense team claimed he was a 'victim of Reza Zarrab, the architect of this scheme.' Zarrab, who has been arrested on similar charges, admitted his guilt and cooperated with U.S. prosecutors in hopes of a reduced sentence. Zarrab's case is still unresolved, and his sentence remains unclear. Zarrab, an Iranian-born businessman accused of illegally transferring billions of dollars in currency and gold for the Iranian government, confessed to his crimes and provided information to U.S. authorities, appearing as a witness in Atilla's case. He stated that senior Turkish officials were involved in the violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran through Halkbank, and these actions were conducted with Erdoğan's approval. U.S. prosecutors argued that while the U.S. and the international community were working to prevent Iran from investing in its 'malevolent and deadly' activities, including nuclear bomb construction and support for terrorist groups, Atilla was a key player in undermining these efforts. In this context, Erdoğan labeled the U.S. court's ruling against Atilla as a 'political coup attempt' against him.