Bridging the Gap
Turkey Between East and West
Halkbank
U.S. Court Denies Sovereign Immunity for Halkbank
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled on Tuesday that the federal government could proceed with the prosecution of Turkish public lender Halkbank on charges that it helped to evade U.S....
Policy Briefs
How not to dethrone an authoritarian leader: The case of Turkey’s Erdoğan
Public apathy and inaction to Erdoğan's authoritarian agenda play a big role in sustaining his hold on power
Op-eds
Israel SitRep: June 17, 2024
Today’s Issue: IDF Spokesman: Hezbollah ‘Bringing Us to the Brink’ of Possible ‘Wider Escalation’ | IDF Chief of Staff: Army Seeking to Expand Enlistment, Haredi Community Has Opportunity for...
Israel at War Situation Report
Istanbul Court Censors Reports That Halkbank Loaned $17 Million to Alleged Organized Crime Boss
An Istanbul court on June 5 ordered the removal of all references to allegations by the newspaper Birgun that Halkbank, a public lender, extended a 550 million lira ($17 million) loan to a person accused...
Policy Briefs
Why President Erdogan’s DC Visit Was Canceled
It is time to stop treating Turkey as an indispensable nation deserving endless accommodation for its rogue foreign policy.
Op-eds
Civil Case Against Halkbank Dismissed by Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court on January 8 denied a civil petition brought against Halkbank, a Turkish state-owned public lender accused of facilitating Iranian sanctions busting. Despite the petition’s dismissal,...
Policy Briefs
Erdogan’s Damning Response to the Hamas Attacks
Turkey’s president is widening the gulf between Ankara and her Western allies and partners.
Op-eds
Supreme Court Allows Iran Sanctions-Evasion Case Against Turkish Bank to Proceed
The Supreme Court ruled on April 19 that the Turkish state-owned Halkbank remains subject to criminal prosecution in U.S. courts for conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran....
Flash Briefs
Will Turkey Pay a Price for Helping Iran Break Sanctions?
So long as Turkey continues to enable adversaries like Iran to evade American sanctions, it will be an ally in name only.
Op-eds
US Sanctions Friend of Turkish President for Helping Iran Evade Sanctions
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned on December 8 Sitki Ayan– a Turkish businessman and friend of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – accusing him and his companies of circumventing sanctions on Iran’s energy industry. According to Treasury, Ayan facilitated the sale of millions of dollars’ worth of oil for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF).
Flash Briefs
Turkey Seeks Sovereign Immunity in Two Cases Before the Supreme Court
Two recent Supreme Court rulings in the United States may shed light on whether entities owned by foreign governments can claim immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA)...
Flash Briefs
The Limits of Turkey’s Israeli Charm Offensive
The pillars of the Israel-Turkey relationship—energy and defense cooperation—require long-term agreements built on mutual trust, not Erdogan’s capricious vacillation between enmity and cooperation.
Op-eds
Growing Trade Signals Deeper Ties Between Iran and Turkey
According to Turkish government sources, bilateral trade between Turkey and Iran increased sharply over the last six months. Although formally a U.S. ally through NATO, Turkey appears determined to deepen...
Policy Briefs
Turkish Banks Suspend Use of Russia’s Mir Payment System
Three Turkish state-owned banks suspended their use of the Russian payment system “Mir” — Moscow’s alternative to the Brussels-based SWIFT messaging service — on Tuesday. This move comes amid...
Policy Briefs
Halkbank’s Supreme Court Appeal Will Delay Iran Sanctions-Evasion Case
A U.S. appeals court ruled on Friday that Halkbank, a public lender majority-owned by Turkey’s sovereign wealth fund, can appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court without having to defend itself in a Manhattan...
Policy Briefs
Landmark Iran Sanctions Ruling Against Turkish Public Lender Builds U.S. Deterrence
A U.S. appeals court ruled on October 22 that Halkbank, a public lender majority-owned by Turkey’s sovereign wealth fund, cannot claim sovereign immunity under U.S. law to scuttle a federal criminal case...
Insights
Turkey Returns to Financial Action Task Force ‘Grey List’
This designation shows yet again that NATO member Turkey continues to offer a permissive jurisdiction for terror finance, sanctions evasion, and money laundering under the 19-year rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party.
Op-eds
Turkey Lands on Anti-Money Laundering Watchlist — Again
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the Paris-based global money laundering and terror financing watchdog, added Turkey to its “grey list” on Thursday, placing Ankara alongside 22 other jurisdictions,...
Insights
Financial Watchdog Cracks Down on Turkish Public Lender’s German Subsidiary
Germany’s financial regulatory authority on August 26 announced a series of punitive measures against an unnamed financial institution that journalists have identified as Ziraat Bank International AG,...