Turkey links U.S. judge in sanctions case to wanted clericANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan s spokesman said on Wednesday the U.S. judge hearing the trial of an executive at Turkey s state-owned Halkbank had taken part in events organized by a cleric Ankara blames for last year s failed military coup.  The issue has gone beyond a legal case, it has become a political case,  spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said in reference to the New York trial of a deputy general manager at the bank, who is charged with helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions.  The executive has pleaded not guilty and Halkbank says it has abided by Turkish and international law.  Erdogan s government has portrayed the case as a  plot against Turkey  by the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it alleges engineered last year s coup attempt.   It is known that the judge has participated in events upon Gulen s invitation,  Kalin told a news conference, without giving details. Turkish newspapers have said Judge Richard Berman attended a legal symposium in Istanbul in 2014 organized by Gulen supporters. Berman could not be reached for comment. At the first hearing in the case he said he was one of five U.S. legal experts who spoke at the symposium and moderated a panel discussion on independent and effective judiciary. In response to previous criticism from Turkey, the United States has said its judicial processes are independent.  Already strained ties between NATO allies Ankara and Washington have deteriorated further over the court case, in which Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab, who is cooperating with U.S. prosecutors, has detailed a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions. Zarrab has implicated top Turkish politicians, including Erdogan. Zarrab said on Thursday that when Erdogan was prime minister he had authorized a transaction to help Iran evade U.S. sanctions. Although he has not yet responded to the courtroom claims, Erdogan has dismissed the case as a politically motivated attempt, led by Gulen, to bring down the Turkish government.  We will continue watching it within the framework of the law, but the public is seeing how this is trying to be used as an instrument of blackmail,  Kalin said.  We have not done anything in violation of international laws, we carried out our activities transparently,  Kalin said. Turkey has repeatedly requested Gulen s extradition, but U.S. officials have said the courts require sufficient evidence before they can extradite the elderly cleric, who has denied any involvement in the coup. Gulen has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999. worldnews
turkey links judge sanctions case wanted clericankara reuters president tayyip erdogan spokesman said wednesday judge hearing trial executive turkey halfback taken part events organized cleric kara blames last year failed military coup the issue gone beyond legal case become political case spokesman ibrahim palin said reference new york trial deputy general manager bank charged helping iran evade sanctions the executive pleaded guilty halfback says aided turkish international law erdogan government portrayed case plot turkey network cleric fethullah gules alleges engineered last year coup attempt it known judge participated events upon gules invitation palin told news conference without giving details turkish newspapers said judge richard german attended legal symposium istanbul organized gules supporters german could reached comment at first hearing case said one five legal experts spoke symposium moderated panel discussion independent effective judiciary in response previous criticism turkey united states said judicial processes independent already strained ties nato allies kara washington deteriorated court case gold trader rez array cooperating prosecutors detailed scheme evade sanctions array implicated top turkish politicians including erdogan array said thursday erdogan prime minister authorized transaction help iran evade sanctions although yet responded courtroom claims erdogan dismissed case politically motivated attempt led gules bring turkish government we continue watching within framework law public seeing trying used instrument blackmail palin said we done anything violation international laws carried activities transparent palin said turkey repeatedly requested gules extradition officials said courts require sufficient evidence extradited elderly cleric denied involvement coup gules lived exile pennsylvania since worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Turkey links U.S. judge in sanctions case to wanted clericANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan s spokesman said on Wednesday the U.S. judge hearing the trial of an executive at Turkey s state-owned Halkbank had taken part in events organized by a cleric Ankara blames for last year s failed military coup.  The issue has gone beyond a legal case, it has become a political case,  spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said in reference to the New York trial of a deputy general manager at the bank, who is charged with helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions.  The executive has pleaded not guilty and Halkbank says it has abided by Turkish and international law.  Erdogan s government has portrayed the case as a  plot against Turkey  by the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it alleges engineered last year s coup attempt.   It is known that the judge has participated in events upon Gulen s invitation,  Kalin told a news conference, without giving details. Turkish newspapers have said Judge Richard Berman attended a legal symposium in Istanbul in 2014 organized by Gulen supporters. Berman could not be reached for comment. At the first hearing in the case he said he was one of five U.S. legal experts who spoke at the symposium and moderated a panel discussion on independent and effective judiciary. In response to previous criticism from Turkey, the United States has said its judicial processes are independent.  Already strained ties between NATO allies Ankara and Washington have deteriorated further over the court case, in which Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab, who is cooperating with U.S. prosecutors, has detailed a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions. Zarrab has implicated top Turkish politicians, including Erdogan. Zarrab said on Thursday that when Erdogan was prime minister he had authorized a transaction to help Iran evade U.S. sanctions. Although he has not yet responded to the courtroom claims, Erdogan has dismissed the case as a politically motivated attempt, led by Gulen, to bring down the Turkish government.  We will continue watching it within the framework of the law, but the public is seeing how this is trying to be used as an instrument of blackmail,  Kalin said.  We have not done anything in violation of international laws, we carried out our activities transparently,  Kalin said. Turkey has repeatedly requested Gulen s extradition, but U.S. officials have said the courts require sufficient evidence before they can extradite the elderly cleric, who has denied any involvement in the coup. Gulen has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999. worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: turkey links judge sanctions case wanted clericankara reuters president tayyip erdogan spokesman said wednesday judge hearing trial executive turkey halfback taken part events organized cleric kara blames last year failed military coup the issue gone beyond legal case become political case spokesman ibrahim palin said reference new york trial deputy general manager bank charged helping iran evade sanctions the executive pleaded guilty halfback says aided turkish international law erdogan government portrayed case plot turkey network cleric fethullah gules alleges engineered last year coup attempt it known judge participated events upon gules invitation palin told news conference without giving details turkish newspapers said judge richard german attended legal symposium istanbul organized gules supporters german could reached comment at first hearing case said one five legal experts spoke symposium moderated panel discussion independent effective judiciary in response previous criticism turkey united states said judicial processes independent already strained ties nato allies kara washington deteriorated court case gold trader rez array cooperating prosecutors detailed scheme evade sanctions array implicated top turkish politicians including erdogan array said thursday erdogan prime minister authorized transaction help iran evade sanctions although yet responded courtroom claims erdogan dismissed case politically motivated attempt led gules bring turkish government we continue watching within framework law public seeing trying used instrument blackmail palin said we done anything violation international laws carried activities transparent palin said turkey repeatedly requested gules extradition officials said courts require sufficient evidence extradited elderly cleric denied involvement coup gules lived exile pennsylvania since worldnews