Reuters - Ratings agency Fitch put the long-term foreign currency rating of Turkey�s Halkbank on �rating watch negative� on Monday, following U.S. Department of Justice charges of fraud, money laundering and Iran sanctions busting.

The downgrade warning on the rating... �reflects uncertainty surrounding the sufficiency and timeliness of support from the Turkish authorities in case a material fine or other punitive measures are imposed on Halk,� Fitch said in a statement.

Fitch currently has a rating of �B+� on Halkbank. (Reporting by Karin Strohecker; editing by Marc Jones)