Erdogan Says US Courts Cannot Put Turkey on Trial Amid Row Over Trader's Charges

The statement by the Turkish president was made after the order by the country's prosecutors to seize the assets of Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab currently charged in the US.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has slammed US claims of alleged Turkish evasion of sanctions against Iran, saying that the US cannot put Turkey on trial and stressing that this step was an attempt to undermine Ankara and its economy.

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Reza Zarrab, recently charged in the US for violating US sanctions against Iran, has accused a number of Turkish officials, including Erdogan of alleged participation in the scheme for evasion of these sanctions.

The move was followed by the order of Turkish prosecutors to seize the assets of Reza Zarrab and 22 others as they investigate claims of "espionage for a foreign country" and an "attempt to smuggle assets."

Zarrab's testimony also included accusations against the ex-manager of state-owned Halkbank and an ex-economic minister, claimed to be a fixer for moving Iranian money through world banks.

However, Halkbank executive Mehmet Hakan Atilla was pronounced not guilty by the US court.