Turkey’s government moved against one of the country’s most prominent opposition broadcasters, raiding Halk TV’s Istanbul headquarters and halting its live broadcast on Wednesday morning, according to reports.
A state-appointed administrator was installed to run the channel, while an arrest warrant was issued for its CEO, Cafer Mahiroglu, who currently resides in London.
Istanbul prosecutors confirmed that 11 people were arrested during the operation, with warrants issued for an additional 17 individuals connected to the investigation.
Mahiroglu is accused of bribery, bid rigging, and money laundering, with prosecutors also seizing assets belonging to companies allegedly linked to him and appointing trustees to run those firms.
The timing of the raid drew immediate and intense scrutiny, as it coincided precisely with the day jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was scheduled to begin his court defense against corruption charges.
İmamoğlu, who won the Istanbul mayoral election in 2019 and remained in office until his arrest on March 19, 2025, is widely regarded as one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s most formidable political rivals.
He faces charges of establishing and running a criminal organization alongside various financial crimes, with prosecutors seeking a prison term of 2,352 years across 142 separate charges.
İmamoğlu denies all allegations, maintaining that the case against him is politically motivated, and he is still expected to mount a presidential campaign in 2028.
Halk TV has served as a key information source for those following the İmamoğlu trial, regularly broadcasting critical coverage of Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Following the raid, journalists were initially prevented from entering the building, with the channel forced to air pre-recorded programming in place of its usual live reports.
Ozgur Ozel, the leader of the social democratic New Party (Yeni Parti), condemned the operation in stark terms, calling it a dark day for Turkey.
“The public’s right to information is being seized for political reasons,” Mahiroglu said, speaking out against the government’s actions from abroad.
Ozel stated that “only dictators” would launch “a dawn raid on a television channel, appointing a trustee,” and sharply criticized the timing relative to the İmamoğlu proceedings.
“Showing solidarity with Halk TV means supporting the struggle for democracy in Turkey,” Ozel added, calling on supporters to rally behind the embattled broadcaster.
The Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS) also condemned the raid via the platform X, describing it as arbitrary and asserting that the press must remain free from censorship.
Editor-in-chief Suat Toktas attempted to persuade the newly installed state administrator to allow live broadcasts to resume, and in a video released by the channel he described what was happening as “illegal.”
Halk TV first began broadcasting on January 10, 2005, and rose to national prominence during the 2013 Gezi Park protests, with Mahiroglu taking ownership of the station in 2020.
Turkey has faced sustained international criticism over its restrictions on press freedom, and Wednesday’s raid is likely to intensify that scrutiny from media watchdogs and foreign governments alike.
