Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab who stands trial in a Manhattan court over violating U.S.-led sanctions against Iran is cooperating with the U.S. prosecutors, NBC News reported on Thursday.
The bombshell came hours after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Turkish lawmakers in Ankara that Turkish Foreign Ministry sent a second diplomatic note to the U.S. authorities, seeking clarification over whereabouts of Mr. Zarrab after his lawyers were unable to reach him for several days.
Based on two resources who know the issue, NBC News said Mr. Zarrab is now cooperating with the prosecutors. He has been moved from a federal jail to a custody.
“That sometimes happens when a defendant has agreed to serve as a government witness,” Bloomberg reported.
The Zarrab trial has become a major flashpoint in strained relations between the U.S. and Turkey whose president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, excoriated U.S. federal prosecutors for instigating a legal coup against Turkey.
President Erdogan personally involved in the matter and even last year urged Vice President Joe Biden to release the businessman who faces a long prison sentence if convicted over charges of skirting U.S. sanctions against Iran, money laundering and other financial crimes that exploited U.S. banks.
Turkey hopes to step up coronavirus testing to reach up to 15,000 people per day, the health minister told the parliament…
Turkey on Wednesday reported its second coronavirus fatality, as the number of confirmed cases rose to 191. President Recep Tayyip…
Turkey will halt flights with nine European countries, including France, Germany and Spain, the transport minister said Friday, as part…
Turkey announced Wednesday its first coronavirus case, a man who had recently travelled to Europe and is in good health.
Hundreds of migrants in Turkey were heading towards border regions with Europe, local media reported Friday, after Turkish authorities decided…
At least 33 Turkish soldiers were killed as violence escalates in Syria's Idlib province after an air strike blamed on…