By Cansu Dikme
ANKARA (AA) – Turkey's presidential spokesman on Thursday described the U.S. verdict on Turkish banker Hakan Atilla as a “scandalous decision of a scandalous case “.
Speaking at a news conference at the presidential complex, Ibrahim Kalin said the U.S. court aimed to intervene in Turkey’s internal affairs through the case.
“This [verdict] is a scandalous decision of a scandalous case. Moreover, it is loud and clear that this case is a conspiracy aimed at complicating Turkey’s internal politics and intervening in Turkey’s internal affairs, ” he said.
On Wednesday, a jury in New York found Atilla guilty on five counts related to conspiracy and bank fraud but acquitted him of a money laundering charge.
The verdict by a panel of six men and six women against Mehmet Hakan Atilla, the 47-year-old former deputy chief executive officer of Turkey’s Halkbank, came after more than three weeks of testimonies and four days of deliberation.
The counts on which Atilla was declared guilty included violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran, crimes to deceive the U.S. and defrauding U.S. banks.
