ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Friday he hoped gold trader Reza Zarrab will “turn back from his mistake” in cooperating with U.S. prosecutors, reiterating Ankara’s view that the U.S. trial of a Turkish banker is politically motivated.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament of his ruling AK Party during a meeting at the Parliament in Ankara, Turkey, November 28, 2017. Kayhan Ozer/Presidential Palace/Handout via REUTERS

Speaking at an opening ceremony in Istanbul, Yildirim said the criminal trial in New York was aimed at cornering Turkey and its economy, after Zarrab told jurors on Thursday that President Tayyip Erdogan had authorised a transaction in a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran.