Closing down an account at an Iranian bank in Istanbul..

Closing down an account at an Iranian bank in Istanbul out of concern that money transfers from Iran to political entities in Turkey ahead of the referendum will be exposed

In recent days, the branch of an Iranian bank in Istanbul received an order from a senior Iranian official to close down an account to which about 1,280,000 USD had been transferred between June and September 2010. The reason for the order to close down the account is unclear. As the account had been closed down, the most recent money transfer to the account was returned to the Iranian account. It was learned that for the time being, money transfers from Iran to Turkey would continue via couriers.
It was learnt that in recent months, extensive money transfers from Iran to Turkey have been made at several branches of Iranian banks in Istanbul. According to an Iranian official at one of the branches of an Iranian bank in Istanbul, about 1,280,000 USD had been transferred to political entities in Turkey. The money was transferred from Iran to Turkey to the account of a political entity in several transactions. Apparently, the purpose of the transfers was to influence the results of Turkey's 12 September 2010 referendum.
There is no confirmation regarding the identity of the Iranians behind the money transfers. However, it is known that they are Iranian officials. It was also learnt that the Iranian funding of political entities in Turkey was being made partly in exchange for the assistance that Turkey's ruling party was granting Iran so that it could overcome the difficulties imposed by the sanctions.
Turkish officials have declared that Turkey was complying with binding U.N. resolutions but not with any additional U.S. resolutions.
According to the same Iranian official, the bank branch was ordered not to cooperate with Turkey's media and under no circumstances to relay any information of the bank's transactions or of money transfers from Iran to Turkey.