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SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 23 – Turkey's Halkbank was indicted for Iran sanctions violations and money laundering on October 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. On October 21, Turkey named convicted former Halkbank executive Hakan Atilla as the new managing director of Borsa Istanbul.

  Now as Halkbank plays scofflaw in the SDNY, its longtime law firm King & Spalding refusing service such that the US has proposed a summons for November 1 before Judge Richard M. Berman (who later on October 22 imposed $150,000 in restitution in an unrelated case and got an unrepresented defendant a new lawyer in another, here), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has publicly spoken out out against Atilla as director general of the Istanbul stock exchange, in which the ERBD has a 10% stake. 

  “We were not consulted and we do not support it,” Jonathan Charles, the EBRD's managing director for communications, said October 22. He said, "We will discuss the matter with authorities.”  It is by no means impossible this quote will show up in a US filing in the SDNY, see below.

  On October 22, when SDNY Judge Berman held a status conference, Halkbank did not show up. Later on October 22 the US wrote to Judge Berman: "Re: United States v. Turkiye Halk Bankasi, A.S.,  S6 15 Cr. 867 (RMB) Dear Judge Berman,  In accordance with the Court’s direction at today’s initial appearance in this matter, the Government respectfully submits the attached proposed order regarding service of the summons on Turkiye Halk Bankasi, A.S. (“Halkbank” or the “defendant”) and Halkbank’s knowing and intentional failure to appear (Exhibit A).  Also attached for the Court’s consideration in connection with the proposed order are: (1) an Investor Relations Disclosure by Halkbank dated October 16, 2019, and available on Halkbank’s website1  (Exhibit B); (2) an article dated October 16, 2019 published by the Financial Times, Erdogan attacks ‘ugly’ US decision on Turkey Halkbank (Exhibit C); (3) an article dated October 17, 2019 published by CNN, Pence says Turkey raised Halkbank indictment after negotiations concluded (Exhibit D); (4) an article dated October 20, 2019 published by Reuters, Turkey says nothing will come of Halkbank case if law in U.S. works (Exhibit E); and (5) a proposed second Summons in a Criminal Case.  With respect to the date of the Second Conference, the Government respectfully suggests that a date of Friday, November 1, 2019, would provide adequate time." There is a proposed summons.

 Halkbank's longtime law firm King & Spalding put in a letter by Andrew C. Hruska that it is not accepting service of process for Halkbank, which has essentially done rogue, like the United Nations did when it dodged legal papers for killing 10,000 in Haiti by bringing cholera. This is what the international "system" has become. But Inner City Press will have more, much more, on this. For now, here is K&S scofflaw letter.

    The UN under Antonio Guterres is entirely dodging the controversy, eager as Guterres is to get a second term by not offending either the US or any other power, especially China but also including Turkey.

     Meanwhile Guterres' partner the UN Censorship Alliance (UNCA) has half of its content consisting of defense of Atilla and Erdogan, whether on assaults on the Kurds or violations of sanctions.