The Justice Department asked a judge to dismiss a long-running criminal case against Turkiye Halk Bankasi AS, the Turkish state-owned lender accused of violating US sanctions on Iran. The request gives prosecutors a path to end litigation rather than push the matter toward trial or further court rulings.

The case centers on alleged Iran sanctions violations, so it carries direct compliance and reputational weight for a bank owned by the Turkish state. For investors and business leaders, the filing matters because sanctions cases can shape access to US financial channels, banking relationships, and the perceived risk of dealing with state-linked lenders.

The request does not mean a judge has granted it, and the source provides no details on the government's reasoning. Still, a move to drop the case would reduce a visible legal overhang for Halkbank, while leaving the underlying sanctions issue tied to US enforcement policy and cross-border banking risk.