Turkey Launches Probe into US Prosecutors for Zarrab Case

Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation on Saturday into two U.S. prosecutors who initiated a probe against Turkish-Iranian businessman for skirting U.S. sanctions against Iran, state-run Anadolu news agency said.

Office of Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor released a statement about the announcement of the investigation into former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Joon H. Kim.

#BREAKING Turkish Prosecutors Office launches probe on US prosecutors Preet Bharara and Joon H. Kim on grounds they used illegaly obtained documents in Reza Zarrab case pic.twitter.com/vVCu7toVIn

— CNN Türk ENG (@CNNTURK_ENG) November 18, 2017

Prosecutors said in the statement that the source of the documents and wiretaps used as evidence in the U.S. probe were not known and violated international and domestic laws.

Businessman Reza Zarrab faces charges of sanctions-busting on behalf of Iran through use of Turkey’s state-run Halkbank. In the case, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, deputy executive of the Turkish bank, will appear at the court on Monday.

Former Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan, former Halkbank chief executive Suleyman Arslan were among the nine defendants who are being tried in the case. Both the minister and Mr. Arslan are tried in absentia.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeatedly portrays the case as a legal coup against himself and Turkey. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday said Mr. Bharara is close to cleric Fethullah Gulen, a claim that was staunchly refused by the former attorney.