Former Halkbank executive resigns as head of Istanbul stock exchange

Diego Cupolo

Mar 8, 2021

Grapfics and numbers of trade markets are screened on the floor of the Borsa Istanbul on May 22, 2018 in Istanbul. - Turkey's embattled currency, the Lira, on May 22 hit new historic lows against the US dollar after Fitch ratings agency expressed concerns over the central bank's independence in the wake of comments by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images) — Graphics and figures are screened on the floor of the Borsa Istanbul on May 22, 2018, in Istanbul. — OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

ISTANBUL — Mehmet Hakan Atilla, a Turkish banker convicted of helping Iran evade US sanctions, resigned as head of Turkey’s Borsa Istanbul Stock Exchange, according to a statement released by the exchange Monday.

Atilla resigned “of his own accord,” according to the statement, and the decision was accepted by the board of directors Monday. Last week, Bloomberg reported Atilla was preparing to step down later this month, citing unnamed sources, though no motives have yet to be confirmed.