Erdogan Says Trump Promised to End Halkbank Sanctions Prosecution

Turkish President Erdoğan publicly stated that Trump promised to end the Halkbank sanctions-evasion prosecution despite a Supreme Court ruling allowing the case to proceed. The state-run Turkish bank faced accusations of laundering billions of dollars for Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. Trump’s commitment to terminate a major sanctions prosecution as a diplomatic favor to Erdoğan represents direct presidential interference in an active criminal case involving national security violations, subordinating law enforcement to personal diplomatic relationships and undermining sanctions regime integrity.