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US Increases Pressure on Key Turkish State Bank

Dorian Jones

   ISTANBUL - The fate of one of Turkey's largest state banks is
   increasingly entwined with the future of Turkish-U.S.
   relations.Halkbank, already on trial infederal court in New York,is now
   being targeted by Congress.

   Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Wednesday with
   PresidentDonaldTrump on the sidelines of the London NATO summit.
   Erdogan is believed to have raised the fate ofHalkbank.

   Ever sinceHalkbankbecame the target of judicial investigations into
   alleged violations of U.S. sanctionson Iran, Erdogan has turned to
   Trump totry toclose downthe inquiries.The Turkish lenderpaid millions
   to lobbyists and law firms in its effort to prevent the opening of a
   court case against it.

   In October,the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York
   opened acase against the bank.The move reportedly took Erdogan by
   surprise, describing it as an "ugly decision." With the opening of the
   case coinciding with Turkey's launching of an operation against a
   Syrian Kurdish militia that is an American ally, Ankara is crying foul.

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