US judge delays Turkish banker's sentencing in Iran sanctions case

A federal judge in Manhattan on Monday delayed by nearly four weeks the sentencing of a Turkish banker convicted in January of helping Iran evade US sanctions.

Mehmet Hakan Atilla, 47, a former deputy general manager at Turkey's state-controlled Halkbank, is now scheduled to learn his punishment on May 7, instead of April 11.

Prosecutors have asked to sentence Atilla to around 20 years in prison, calling the Turkish national a "key player" in trying to undermine US sanctions, and saying a significant sentence is needed to deter others.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has denounced the case, calling it a politically motivated attack on his government.