USA caught on Erdogan's corrupt hook
The Turkish government is aware of smuggling on their Eastern border, conducting illegal commercial transactions and multi-million dollar bribes. I think this is the next accusation? To such statements the Russian media and senior officials of the public have become accustomed. But what if allegations of corruption and smuggling come from overseas? It turns out that Turkey in the person of its leaders may still keep foul play.March 19 in the U.S. arrested the owner of the company Royal Holding A. S., a millionaire Reza Zarrab. The accusations against him are serious: the violation of American sanctions against Iran, trafficking and gold smuggling, bribery and money laundering.
The name of this businessman became known to the public at the end of 2013, when Turkey broke a corruption scandal, costing and Deputy Ministerial portfolios to the whole group of politicians. The Prosecutor's office of Turkey in December 2013 was charged a total of 52 high-ranking Turkish officials and their families.
The essence of the charges was limited to participation in illegal trade with Iran on a "gold in exchange for hydrocarbons". Police then began the arrests, but suddenly intervened and the then Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Erdogan.
Despite strong evidence against politicians, Ministers and related entrepreneurs, things took quite a different turn. Erdogan, announcing the plot to discredit his party and the country's leadership and brought down reprisals on law enforcement officers themselves. As a result hundreds of police and prosecutors have been dismissed or suspended from conducting anti-corruption investigations, rebuilt the structure of the enforcement agencies, their activities and informing the management about the planned operations against the authorities. In addition, there have been several questionable suicide of investigators who conducted investigations against senior management.
But even these measures have not helped to stay in power, the defendants in the case. In a short time from governments gone 10 Ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers of justice, internal Affairs, economy and Minister for relations with the EU.
Also lost their seats, the heads of cities and municipalities, members of Parliament and party functionaries of the highest level. In fact, it was not without the high-profile arrests and seizures. There and hundreds of thousands of dollars found in the apartment of the son of one of the Ministers, and boxes of shoes, stuffed several million dollars, the Director of the state Bank "Halkbank", and presented to the Minister of economy of Turkey watch worth 350 thousand dollars, and audio and video recordings of the erdoğan and his family members directly relating to the subject matter.
Less than a year as the Prosecutor's office of Turkey has decided to terminate the investigation, agreeing, thus, with President Erdogan, who declared that corruption scandal has fanned extremist forces led living in the US a millionaire and supporter of the Islamic way of development of Turkey by Fethullah Gulen, with the support of external forces.
What is the role of Reza Zarrab in this story? Economic sanctions imposed by the international community against Iran, provided for the cessation of banking operations and disconnecting from the SWIFT system, as well as restrict trade in Iranian natural gas and oil. These measures serious blow to Turkey, which has realized the import of a significant portion of hydrocarbons from Iran.
The Turkish government sought a way out of the situation and found him in a rather simple decision. In exchange for deliveries from Iran of the goods and, primarily, oil and gas shell companies illegally transported to Iran gold, which bought international trader Raza Saraba in Europe and Africa. This scheme has been actively used not only for calculations with Iranian companies, but also for money laundering and smuggling. And this, accordingly, led to large bribes and the use of the state "Halkbank" for illegal operations. According to various estimates, the volume of carried out operations could reach several tens of billions of dollars and affect overall macroeconomic performance of Turkey.
The role of Saraba was so great that after the scandal in the summer of 2015 he was awarded Erdogan and called philanthropos who has done a lot for the country.
For its part, the U.S. did not immediately covered this sanctions loophole, giving, thus, the Turkish leadership an opportunity to maximize the benefits from illegal operations. But as relations between the US and Turkey deteriorated, and the need for pressure on Iran increased, the States have blocked the possibility of settlement. But no real actions against Turkish citizens, the government, banks and companies who were involved in the shadow schemes, American justice is not taken. For two years now this story did not develop.
However, the situation has recently changed radically. Two weeks ago in Iran was sentenced to death billionaire Babak, Sarjani, partner of Zarrab operation "gold in exchange for hydrocarbons". Now the Iranian result is perfectly entitled to demand from Turkey the issue of Saraba.
In these circumstances Reza Zarrab, where in addition there are Turkish and Iranian passport, can't safely continue their activities. On the other hand, the US too will not forgive the businessman violating sanctions requirements, and the relationship of Erdogan and American leadership cannot be called good, and because a clever trader knows that in case of aggravation of the Turkish President can easily sacrifice them for the sake of preserving their power. This gave reason to many to assume that the arrest of Taraba in the U.S. staged.
Indeed, why would a man, the likelihood of detention which American law enforcement is extremely high, leaving a luxury Villa on the shores of the Bosphorus worth 72 million dollars and to tempt fate, going overseas? But despite this Zarrab goes to the United States, where successfully delayed the American authorities.
Of course, one may agree that the fear of severe punishment and even death, gold trader decided to cooperate with American authorities and save his life. But in this process, the visible and the interest of the US, extending much further corruption investigations. Interesting is the fact that the detention occurred just days before Erdogan's visit to America, which will be held from 29 March to 2 April.
And although the stated purpose of the visit exclusively non-political: the opening of the mosque, meetings with potential investors and participate in the nuclear security summit and meeting with President Obama not even planned, the fact of the arrest so close to the Turkish authorities the businessman is a serious political signal to Erdogan.
While the U.S. and Russia are engaged in complicated negotiations on Syria, Washington does not need unexpected attempts on the part of the Turkish President. In addition, the example of the relationship between Turkey and the EU, it became clear that Erdogan skillfully uses blackmail in its foreign policy. Avoid attempts of Ankara to extend this practice to the U.S., Americans got a kind of antidote in the face of a man who without a doubt can tell a lot about the current leaders of Turkey.
If so, the U.S. once again demonstrated their ability to use the weaknesses of their partners. America, as a skilled fisherman, watched first allowed Turkish leaders to swallow the bait deeper corruption, and now, in time podseca, can achieve complete control over presumptuous politician. The trick the Americans had done more than once, but, apparently, continue unbridled lust for power and greed of some politicians to be used as a serious argument in a complex geopolitical game.
However, for Washington in this story there is a minus — it is an indirect confirmation of the position of Russia towards Turkey. If such high-ranking officials caught on bribes, illegal trade of hydrocarbons and gold with Iran in the period of international sanctions, then who is to guarantee that the Erdogan government did not violate international agreements on the fight against terrorists in Syria, as has been repeatedly stated by Russia?
