No one can set up virtual courts to prosecute Turkey: Erdoğan

ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Dec. 2 said Turkey could never be "condemned by virtual courts" in the U.S., commenting on a New York trial of Turkish-Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab that allegedly designed to subvert US sanctions on Iran.

Zarrab had been due to go on trial over the accusations but he agreed to cooperate with US prosecutors

"My country can never be condemned by virtual courts set up by FETO scoundrels, fake representatives," Erdoğan said during a televised speech in the eastern province of Kars, referring to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation.

"Someone has got up and decided they will apparently try my country in their falsely set-up courts. Don't bother!" Erdoğan added.

Since Zarrab became the prosecution's star witness in the trial, deputy general manager of Halkbank Mehmet Hakan Atilla is now the lone man in the dock accused of violating sanctions, bribery and money laundering.

Zarrab has taken the stand three times since Nov. 29, admitting to bribing former Turkish economy minister Zafer Çağlayan and being involved in the multi-billion-dollar gold-for-oil scheme.