Development regarding the Halkbank case scheduled for January 27 in the US: Trump had said 'it is over'

The request by Halkbank, which is accused of violating US sanctions on Iran, to be exempt from prosecution in the US under "sovereign immunity" had been rejected by the US Supreme Court. The Halkbank case evaluation meeting, which was planned to be held in New York on January 27, has been postponed.

US prosecutors allege that Halkbank secretly transferred approximately 20 billion dollars in restricted funds through money service providers and shell companies in Iran, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

The charges against Halkbank also allege that oil revenues were converted into gold and cash, and that fake food shipment documents were prepared to make these transactions appear legitimate. Halkbank denies all the accusations.

ERDOĞAN HAD CALLED IT "ILLEGAL"

The case, which was opened in 2019 during the administration of US President Donald Trump, caused diplomatic tension in US-Turkey relations, and AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the case as an "illegal and ugly step."

HALKBANK'S "IMMUNITY" REQUEST HAD BEEN REJECTED

Halkbank had appealed the case, arguing that it should be exempt from prosecution in the US due to "sovereign immunity."

The US 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Halkbank's "request for immunity under customary international law" in October 2024 and ruled that it could be tried in the criminal case. Following this, the bank filed an appeal with the US Supreme Court.

The US Supreme Court also refused to hear Halkbank's appeal in its decision dated October 6, 2025.

TRUMP: THE HALKBANK PROBLEM IS OVER FOR US

Speaking to journalists on the plane while returning from Azerbaijan, AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that Trump had told him, "The Halkbank problem is over for us," both at the White House on September 25 and during their phone conversations.

Regarding the issue, Erdoğan had said, "This is an important declaration of political will, and it is valuable to us as well. On the other hand, we know that there are some processes that need to be completed. Our hope is that these processes will be concluded positively as soon as possible."

EVALUATION MEETING POSTPONED

In the US, a "status conference" meeting to discuss the current state of the Halkbank case and the next steps was set to be held on January 27. However, in the latest development, it was decided to postpone the evaluation meeting. A decision regarding the status of the case and the trial calendar was expected to be made at the evaluation meeting.

News Source: 12punto