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Halkbank Gets Mixed Reception at Top US Court on Immunity

  • Turkish-owned bank fighting charges over Iranian sanctions
  • Some justices suggest returning criminal case to lower court
A Halkbank branch in Istanbul.

A Halkbank branch in Istanbul.

Photographer: Nicole Tung/Bloomberg
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Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank got a mixed reception at the US Supreme Court as the bank sought dismissal of criminal charges that it helped Iran evade economic sanctions.

Hearing arguments in Washington in a case with both economic and political ramifications, several justices questioned Halkbank’s assertion that federal courts lack power to consider criminal cases against foreign governments and the companies they own.