Turkish banker's US trial on a break until next year
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A New York jury deliberating the fate of a Turkish banker charged with helping Iran evade US sanctions is off until after the holidays.
Federal court jurors in Manhattan finished a third day of discussions Friday in the trial of Halkbank executive Mehmet Hakan Atilla. They were told to return Jan. 3.
Prosecutors say 47-year-old Atilla was the architect of a conspiracy that enabled Iran to begin evading US economic sanctions in 2011. Atilla's lawyer says the executive was a civil servant at the state-owned bank, one of Turkey's largest.
Turkey officials, including its president, have criticized the prosecution. Atilla's lawyer says the executive was a humble civil servant at the state-owned bank, one of Turkey's largest.
Jurors so far requested evidence and read-backs of testimony.
