Turkish banker makes second bid for mistrial in U.S. sanctions caseNEW YORK (Reuters) - Lawyers for an executive at Turkey s majority state-owned Halkbank who is accused of helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions on Wednesday asked a U.S. federal judge to declare a mistrial as jurors were expected to begin deliberating. In a motion filed in Manhattan federal court, the lawyers for Mehmet Hakan Atilla said prosecutors had prejudiced the jury by asking their client during cross-examination on Tuesday whether he remembered that a report by a Turkish expert concluded he violated sanctions. Atilla s lawyers immediately objected before Atilla could answer, and U.S. District Judge Richard Berman ordered the question stricken from the record. However, Atilla s lawyers said Wednesday that the damage had been done. They said jurors should not have been allowed to hear about the Turkish report because its author was not in court, depriving Atilla of his right to confront his accuser. They also said the question  grossly mischaracterized  the report s conclusion.  Asking this question in open court had the effect of introducing otherwise inadmissible hearsay and an expert opinion on the ultimate issue for the jury,  they said. Berman ordered prosecutors to respond to the motion by 5 p.m. (2200 GMT) Wednesday. Jurors had been expected to begin deliberating Wednesday morning after a three-week trial that has strained diplomatic relations between the United States and Turkey. At the center of the trial was explosive testimony from Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab, who pleaded guilty to charges of violating sanctions and testified for U.S. prosecutors. Zarrab testified that Atilla helped design fraudulent transactions of gold and food that allowed Iran to spend its oil and gas revenues abroad, including through U.S. financial institutions, defying U.S. sanctions. Zarrab also implicated Turkish officials in the scheme, including President Tayyip Erdogan. Attempts to reach Erdogan s spokesman for comment on the allegations at the trial have been unsuccessful. Erdogan has publicly dismissed the case as a politically motivated attack on his government. Atilla, testifying in his own defense at the trial, denied all the charges against him. Halkbank has denied taking part in any illegal transactions. Atilla s lawyers already asked for a mistrial last week after jurors heard testimony from Huseyin Korkmaz, a former Turkish police officer who said he led an investigation that included Atilla and was forced to flee Turkey to escape retaliation. Berman denied that motion. U.S. prosecutors charged nine people in the criminal case, though only Zarrab, 34, and Atilla, 47, were arrested by U.S. authorities. worldnews
turkish banker makes second bid mistral sanctions caselaw york reuters lawyers executive turkey majority halfback accused helping iran evade sanctions wednesday asked federal judge declare mistral jurors expected begin delineating in motion filed manhattan federal court lawyers meet hasan still said prosecutors prejudiced jury asking client tuesday whether remembered report turkish expert concluded violated sanctions still lawyers immediately objected still could answer district judge richard german ordered question stricken record however still lawyers said wednesday damage done they said jurors allowed hear turkish report author court depriving still right confront accuser they also said question grossly mischaracterized report conclusion asking question open court effect introducing otherwise admissible hearsay expert opinion ultimate issue jury said german ordered prosecutors respond motion gt wednesday jurors expected begin delineating wednesday morning trial strained diplomatic relations united states turkey at center trial explosive testimony gold trader rez array pleaded guilty charges violating sanctions testified prosecutors array testified still helped design fraudulent transactions gold food allowed iran spend oil gas revenues abroad including financial institutions defying sanctions array also implicated turkish officials scheme including president tayyip erdogan attempts reach erdogan spokesman comment allegations trial unsuccessful erdogan publicly dismissed case politically motivated attack government still testifying defense trial denied charges halfback denied taking part illegal transactions still lawyers already asked mistral last week jurors heard testimony seyin korkmaz former turkish police officer said led investigation included still forced flee turkey escape retaliation german denied motion prosecutors charged nine people criminal case though array still arrested authorities 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: Turkish banker makes second bid for mistrial in U.S. sanctions caseNEW YORK (Reuters) - Lawyers for an executive at Turkey s majority state-owned Halkbank who is accused of helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions on Wednesday asked a U.S. federal judge to declare a mistrial as jurors were expected to begin deliberating. In a motion filed in Manhattan federal court, the lawyers for Mehmet Hakan Atilla said prosecutors had prejudiced the jury by asking their client during cross-examination on Tuesday whether he remembered that a report by a Turkish expert concluded he violated sanctions. Atilla s lawyers immediately objected before Atilla could answer, and U.S. District Judge Richard Berman ordered the question stricken from the record. However, Atilla s lawyers said Wednesday that the damage had been done. They said jurors should not have been allowed to hear about the Turkish report because its author was not in court, depriving Atilla of his right to confront his accuser. They also said the question  grossly mischaracterized  the report s conclusion.  Asking this question in open court had the effect of introducing otherwise inadmissible hearsay and an expert opinion on the ultimate issue for the jury,  they said. Berman ordered prosecutors to respond to the motion by 5 p.m. (2200 GMT) Wednesday. Jurors had been expected to begin deliberating Wednesday morning after a three-week trial that has strained diplomatic relations between the United States and Turkey. At the center of the trial was explosive testimony from Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab, who pleaded guilty to charges of violating sanctions and testified for U.S. prosecutors. Zarrab testified that Atilla helped design fraudulent transactions of gold and food that allowed Iran to spend its oil and gas revenues abroad, including through U.S. financial institutions, defying U.S. sanctions. Zarrab also implicated Turkish officials in the scheme, including President Tayyip Erdogan. Attempts to reach Erdogan s spokesman for comment on the allegations at the trial have been unsuccessful. Erdogan has publicly dismissed the case as a politically motivated attack on his government. Atilla, testifying in his own defense at the trial, denied all the charges against him. Halkbank has denied taking part in any illegal transactions. Atilla s lawyers already asked for a mistrial last week after jurors heard testimony from Huseyin Korkmaz, a former Turkish police officer who said he led an investigation that included Atilla and was forced to flee Turkey to escape retaliation. Berman denied that motion. U.S. prosecutors charged nine people in the criminal case, though only Zarrab, 34, and Atilla, 47, were arrested by U.S. authorities. 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: turkish banker makes second bid mistral sanctions caselaw york reuters lawyers executive turkey majority halfback accused helping iran evade sanctions wednesday asked federal judge declare mistral jurors expected begin delineating in motion filed manhattan federal court lawyers meet hasan still said prosecutors prejudiced jury asking client tuesday whether remembered report turkish expert concluded violated sanctions still lawyers immediately objected still could answer district judge richard german ordered question stricken record however still lawyers said wednesday damage done they said jurors allowed hear turkish report author court depriving still right confront accuser they also said question grossly mischaracterized report conclusion asking question open court effect introducing otherwise admissible hearsay expert opinion ultimate issue jury said german ordered prosecutors respond motion gt wednesday jurors expected begin delineating wednesday morning trial strained diplomatic relations united states turkey at center trial explosive testimony gold trader rez array pleaded guilty charges violating sanctions testified prosecutors array testified still helped design fraudulent transactions gold food allowed iran spend oil gas revenues abroad including financial institutions defying sanctions array also implicated turkish officials scheme including president tayyip erdogan attempts reach erdogan spokesman comment allegations trial unsuccessful erdogan publicly dismissed case politically motivated attack government still testifying defense trial denied charges halfback denied taking part illegal transactions still lawyers already asked mistral last week jurors heard testimony seyin korkmaz former turkish police officer said led investigation included still forced flee turkey escape retaliation german denied motion prosecutors charged nine people criminal case though array still arrested authorities worldnews