Former Halkbank executive Hakan Atilla detained at airport

Then-Finance Minister Berat Albayrak and Atilla in 2019. (Photo: AA/File)

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Former Deputy General Manager of Turkey's state-owned Halkbank, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, took to Instagram to report that his passport was seized, and he was taken to the police station while he was trying to travel to Cyprus with his family.

According to Atilla, he was not informed of the reason behind the travel ban or who imposed it. He expressed his disappointment by saying, "I'm used to being detained at airports, but it's shameful for my family. We served our country for years. We held it in high esteem, defended it, and protected it.

"In return, I am detained like this. What goes around comes around, and the day will come when the accounts are settled."

Atilla was arrested in 2017 while he was Deputy General Manager of Halkbank on charges of breaking US sanctions against Iran. He was sentenced to 32 months in prison in May 2018.

Atilla was released in July 2019 and returned to Turkey. He was appointed as the CEO of the Istanbul Stock Exchange in October 2019 but resigned from the position in March 2021, after serving for about 1.5 years.

There is no official statement from the authorities regarding the travel ban imposed on Atilla. However, Atilla's lawyer, Victor Rocco, told Reuters that they will file a complaint to lift the travel ban, and they will consider taking legal action if necessary.

Atilla's arrest in 2017 was part of a larger US investigation into a scheme to evade sanctions against Iran. The case led to the arrest of several Halkbank executives, including the bank's former CEO, Suleyman Aslan. The US fined Halkbank 1.1 billion dollars in 2020 for its role in the scheme. (VC/VK)