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Turkish police conducted an early morning operation at the Istanbul offices of Halk TV, preventing staff from entering the premises while a search took place and a state-appointed trustee assumed control of the pro-opposition channel. The broadcaster’s live programming went off air shortly after 6:30 a.m. local time, giving way to pre-recorded content before transmissions ceased entirely. According to the channel, editor-in-chief Suat Toktas attempted to persuade the head of the trustee delegation to allow continued broadcasting in the interest of public information but was overruled.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that 17 arrest warrants had been issued in connection with an investigation into Halk TV owner Cafer Mahiroğlu, who is reportedly abroad. Prosecutors said 11 individuals, including channel managers, were detained in coordinated home raids on suspicion of bribery, bid rigging and money laundering involving companies linked to Mahiroğlu. The office added that four of the remaining warrant targets were overseas, one was already in custody elsewhere and the last was still at large, while several of Mahiroğlu’s firms were seized and placed under the trustee.
Halk TV described the scene as a blockade, with officers from financial crimes, organized crime and counterterrorism units involved in the operation that began around 5:15 a.m. Programmer Deniz Bayramoglu posted on X that employees with years at the station found themselves locked out, unable to access their workplace. The channel later confirmed via social media that broadcasts had been suspended following the trustee’s arrival accompanied by police.
Opposition New Party leader Özgür Özel condemned the raid in posts on X, stating that only dictators would conduct a dawn operation on a television channel and appoint a trustee. He linked the move to the government’s prior removal of elected mayors from office, declaring that those who trample the people’s will had now targeted a channel watched by millions because they are impotent and cowards. The main opposition Republican People’s Party, with which Halk TV is often aligned, has faced mounting legal pressures in recent months.
Halk TV has long been viewed as a platform critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party administration, frequently highlighting issues ranging from economic policy to governance. The channel’s coverage positioned it close to the Republican People’s Party, whose municipal leaders have increasingly clashed with central authorities. Reuters reported that no immediate comment came from government officials on the operation.
The action against Halk TV follows the shutdown two weeks earlier of the independent news website T24, which authorities blocked over accusations of LGBT propaganda, according to AFP reporting. Similar past operations have targeted other outlets perceived as opposition voices, contributing to a climate in which access bans, fines and content restrictions have affected multiple independent broadcasters and digital platforms. The prosecutor’s move to install a trustee mirrors earlier interventions in which courts have transferred control of companies tied to government critics.
