Turkish Police Summons FBI Official at US Embassy

Reports indicate that following the testimony of a former Turkish police official in a court in the United States against the former CEO of Halkbank, Ankara police have summoned an official from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at the US embassy. According to Reuters, this news was published by Anadolu Agency on Wednesday, stating that the FBI official was summoned after Hussein Korkmaz, the former head of Ankara police, testified during the trial of the former CEO of the state-owned Turkish bank, Halkbank, who is accused of helping Iran evade sanctions. Mehmet Atilla, the former CEO of Halkbank, has denied the charges and claims he is innocent. Halkbank also rejected any involvement in illegal financial transactions. Korkmaz stated in a New York court on Monday that he fled the country in 2016 due to fear of retaliation from the government. He claims he felt threatened due to leading an investigation into the financial corruption of senior Turkish officials. Korkmaz also mentioned that he brought documents to support his statements. He told the jury that he received $50,000 from an FBI official and also received financial assistance from American prosecutors to pay his rent. The FBI did not respond to this news on Wednesday. The Turkish police stated that they are not prepared to respond quickly to reports claiming they summoned an FBI official. A spokesperson for the US embassy in Ankara told Reuters that they are aware of the content of the published report but have not commented on it. Reuters notes that the relationship between Washington and Ankara has been cooling following revelations during the trial of Reza Zarrab, an Iranian-Turkish gold trader cooperating with American prosecutors, which disclosed details on how to circumvent US sanctions. Korkmaz testified on behalf of American prosecutors during this trial, stating that he began investigations into Reza Zarrab in 2012. Zarrab's charges have implicated several Turkish politicians, including Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Zarrab claimed that when Erdoğan was Prime Minister, he allowed financial transactions to help Iran evade sanctions. Zarrab also identified Mahmoud Bahmani, the former head of Iran's Central Bank, as a key figure in these financial transactions. Bahmani has denied these accusations. Erdoğan has yet to respond to the allegations presented in court, and he has characterized the entire trial as a politically motivated process linked to Fethullah Gülen, whom the Turkish government blames for last year's failed coup. Gülen has denied any connection.