Sputnik- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday described the ongoing trial in the United States of deputy CEO of Turkey's Halkbank Hakan Atilla as part of the attempt to stage a new coup in Turkey.




On January 4, acting US Attorney Joon Kim said that a jury unanimously convicted Atilla of�a scheme to�send billions of�dollars to�Iran in�violation of�US sanctions against�the country. Following the ruling, Ankara said the decision to�convict the banker was unlawful.

"Those who failed to�carry out�a coup in�our country on�July 15 [2016] are now trying to�find other ways to�do it. The well-known process on�the case of�Atilla, which is now ongoing in�the United States, is the address of�the political component of�the coup attempt," Erdogan said while addressing the parliamentary group of�Turkey's ruling party.

In March 2017, US authorities detained Atilla on�suspicion of�a secret deal aimed at�sending money to�Iran in�violation of�anti-Tehran sanctions. The criminal proceeding against�the banker were based on�the testimony of�Reza Zarrab, a dual citizen of�Turkey and Iran, who was arrested in�the United States in�March 2016 on�suspicion of�violating these sanctions and pledged guilty in�November. He cooperated with�the US prosecutors, testified against�Atilla as�well as�Erdogan, saying that he could have been aware of�the deal.

On July 15, 2016, a military takeover attempt took place in�Turkey, leaving over�240 people killed. Ankara accused Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has been living in�the United States since�1999, and his followers of�orchestrating the attempt. Gulen has refuted the allegations.