US court dismisses case against Turkey's Halkbank
A US judge on Tuesday decided to dismiss a circumstance against Turkish state loan company Halkbank filed by victims of attacks by groupings associated with Iran, on the problem that the sides reach an agreement to carry on with the case in Turkey.
Halkbank has been in the center of a significant dispute between Ankara and Washington. It had been indicted in a separate case in New York in 2019, accused of assisting Iran evade American sanctions.U.S. District Judge Denise Cote agreed to dismiss the circumstance brought against Halkbank by 876 plaintiffs who had been victims or related to victim of "an abroad terrorist assault committed by an organization associated with Iran."
The court accepted Halkbank's request that the case be dismissed, saying the case could be handled by a court in Turkey.It ordered the sides to submit an contract by March 2 to litigate the case found in Turkey.
"Dismissal shall be conditioned on Halkbank's contract to accept provider in Turkey, send to the jurisdiction of Turkish courts, and waive any statute of limitations protection that might have arisen because the filing of the action," the courtroom said.
In the key case against Halkbank, U.S. prosecutors accused the lending company of using money companies and front firms in Iran.
Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to evade sanctions on Tehran, enabling oil and gas revenue to be allocated to gold and facilitating sham foodstuff and medicine buys. Halkbank provides pleaded not guilty to bank fraud, cash laundering and conspiracy expenses brought in 2019.
