Update: Turkey hits back at U.S. court verdict on Turkish banker

ANKARA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag on Thursday slammed the U.S. court verdict in a case of Turkish banker, saying it is "a case of political conspiracy."

"Turkey is a fully independent and sovereign country. No other country can adjudicate Turkey and Turkey's institutions," Bozdag stated on his Twitter account, adding this verdict was against international law as well.

On Wednesday, a jury in New York found former Halkbank deputy chief executive officer Mehmet Hakan Atilla guilty on five charges related to conspiracy and bank fraud but acquitted him of money laundering.

Commenting on the alleged involvement of foreign parties in the case, Bozdag said the case stands as an example of the politically motivated collaboration between the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETO), the CIA, the FBI and the U.S. government.

He reiterated that all transactions in Turkey were operated in line with international agreements and UN resolutions.

Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin also criticized the U.S. ruling, describing the trial as a "legal scandal" since it is marred with Gulenists connections.

In a statement issued after the verdict, Halkbank noted that it always adheres to national and international regulations in all its business and transactions, and clarified that a U.S. court's verdict involving its former employee was not a ruling on the bank itself.

According to the ruling, Atilla's guilty counts include violating U.S. sanctions against Iran, crimes to deceive the U.S. and defrauding U.S. banks. Enditem