A Turkish banker, convicted in the US for helping Iran avoid economic sanctions, has been appointed head of the Turkish stock exchange, AP reported.

Banker Hakan Atilla, convicted in the US in 2018, was released from prison in July and sent to Turkey.

Turkey supported Atilla's innocence throughout the process and called his conviction to be a scandalous sentence. The trial brought tension to Ankara and Washington, strained Turkish-U.S. relations, since evidence of corruption at the highest levels of the Turkish government was also made public.

Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak announced Atilla’s appointment in a tweet Monday.

Albayrak tweeted: “The resting time of Hakan Atilla who joined his family and country following an unjust conviction has ended. He has been appointed Borsa Istanbul’s general manager.”