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Turkish police raided Halk TV headquarters, halting live broadcasts and detaining 11 people. Authorities appointed a trustee to manage the owner's assets as part of a financial crimes probe.
Turkish police raided the headquarters of Halk TV, a prominent pro-opposition news channel, early Wednesday, halting its live broadcasts and detaining 11 people. The operation is linked to a criminal investigation into the channel's chairman, Cafer Mahiroğlu, on allegations of bribery, rigging tenders, and money laundering.
According to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, arrest warrants were issued for 17 suspects. Eleven individuals were detained during raids on their homes, including seven relatives of Mahiroğlu. The prosecutor’s office stated that companies co-owned or managed by Mahiroğlu had been seized by court order and placed under the supervision of appointed trustees.
Mahiroğlu, who resides abroad, was not among those detained. In a video message posted on X, he described the events as "a dark day for Turkey" and stated, "The public's right to information is being seized for political reasons." He further alleged, "Using the judiciary as a weapon is the greatest harm inflicted on Turkey."
Halk TV announced on X shortly before 7:00am local time that "Police raid at Halk TV headquarters! A trustee (manager) has been appointed, broadcasts have been halted." The channel’s television and YouTube transmissions were interrupted, with live news replaced by music and documentaries.
Journalists reported being unable to enter the building initially. Gamze Altunay, a Halk TV employee, wrote on X, "At Halk TV, the management is now under a trustee. Broadcasting systems have been seized. Our channel is literally under blockade. I still can't get into the institution where I've worked for 5 years – none of us can. The police haven't left the building."
Suat Toktaş, Halk TV’s editor-in-chief, reportedly met with the head of the trustee panel and requested that live broadcasts continue "for the public's right to information." The request was rejected, according to bianet.
The raid occurred hours before jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was due to begin his defense in a corruption trial. Özgür Özel, leader of the opposition New Party, condemned the action, writing on social media, "Storming a TV channel with a police raid at dawn and appointing a trustee is something only dictators do. Unfortunately, they have brought our country to this state."
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called for the immediate return of control to Halk TV staff. "Seizing Halk TV strikes at the heart of press freedom in Turkey where the vast majority of news outlets are pro-government," said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey representative. "Control of Halk TV must immediately be returned to its staff and this deeply alarming and damaging crackdown on journalism must end."
This incident follows a pattern of state interventions in Turkish media. In October 2025, authorities seized control of Tele1, another pro-opposition channel, appointing a trustee and stripping its broadcasts of hard-news content. According to bianet, Halk TV is the tenth television channel taken under control by the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) since March 2025.
Turkey ranked 163rd out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2026 World Press Freedom Index. The RSF stated that 90% of national media outlets were under government control.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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