Approximately 9 years later, the verdict was announced for Reza Zarrab, who pleaded guilty and cooperated with the prosecutor's office in the case of violating sanctions against Iran in the USA.
New York Manhattan Southern District Federal Court Judge Richard Berman ruled that Zarrab would not be sentenced to additional prison time by deducting the time he had previously spent in detention. Thus, the trial process against Zerrab ended.
In the evaluations included in the court file, it was stated that the prosecutor's office stated that Zarrab cooperated extensively with the authorities during the investigation process. Prosecutors noted that Zarrab provided accurate, complete and reliable information throughout the investigation and made important testimonies in the process related to allegations of violation of sanctions.
Reza Zarrab was detained by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Miami, where he went with his family, on March 19, 2016, and was arrested on March 21, 2016. Zarrab's arrest led to a lawsuit being filed against Halkbank in the USA due to its role in breaking sanctions against Iran.
Zarrab, who cooperated with the prosecutor's office and pleaded guilty, was released on bail in 2018. In his statements in court, he claimed that he gave bribes of 45-50 million euros and 7 million dollars to former Minister of Economy Zafer Çağlayan, and that Çağlayan wanted a profit share from trade with Iran. Zarrab also explained in detail in court how oil and natural gas payments to Iran were made in a way that exceeded sanctions.
Zarrab also testified against Halkbank Deputy General Manager Mehmet Hakan Atilla, who was tried in the USA in 2017. Atilla returned to Türkiye in 2019 after being detained for 28 months for his role in breaking Iranian sanctions. Atilla, who later took on the position of General Manager of Borsa Istanbul, resigned from this position two years later.
The Halkbank case, which had been going on for about 9 years in the USA, was dropped in June 2026. An agreement was reached between the US Department of Justice and Halkbank in March.
It is a common practice in the USA for the sentences of witnesses who cooperate with the authorities to be announced after the completion of the cases in which they testified. Judge Richard Berman, while considering the request to dismiss the Halkbank case, set today's date for Zarrab's sentence to be announced.
Hmmmm, understood... I guess this was Trump's first order after leaving Türkiye...!