Turkish police raid Halk TV and trustee takes control

Turkish police raided and searched the Istanbul headquarters of pro-opposition broadcaster Halk TV on 14 October, interrupting its live broadcasts as a government trustee was appointed to run the channel. Reports and the Istanbul prosecutor’s office said the raid took place as prosecutors pursued a case involving Halk TV chair Cafer Mahiroğlu and had sought his arrest.¹²⁴

Raid and broadcast disruption

Halk TV said police entered its Istanbul building and prevented staff from entering while the search was under way. The broadcaster said its live transmission was cut at 6:30 a.m., after which pre-recorded programmes were broadcast. Its news channel and YouTube live streams were also offline early on Wednesday, according to the BBC.¹²⁴

A government trustee was appointed to administer Halk TV, reports said. Middle East Eye reported that administration was entrusted to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund, a public body. Halk TV editor-in-chief Suat Toktas sought to continue the live broadcast but was not permitted to do so, according to accounts cited by The Straits Times and AOL.²⁴⁶

According to the BBC, many Turks see Halk TV as aligned with the opposition Republican People’s Party, and the station often challenges President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s governing AK Party. The broadcaster described itself as pro-opposition in reporting on the operation.¹

Investigation and detentions

According to the Istanbul prosecutor’s office, Mahiroğlu was being examined by its financial-crime division over claims of bribery, bid manipulation and the laundering of proceeds from criminal activity. It said evidence, witness accounts and transaction records indicated criminal activity, according to AOL. Those are allegations within the investigation, not findings of guilt.⁴

AOL, citing the prosecutor’s office, reported that authorities ordered the detention of 17 individuals, Mahiroğlu among them, and took 11 into custody in coordinated raids. The BBC reported that seven members of Mahiroğlu’s family were among those held, citing Mahiroğlu. He was outside Turkey during the raid and was being sought by authorities, according to reports.¹⁴

Mahiroğlu said the intervention was politically motivated. In a statement cited by the BBC, he said: "The public's right to information is being seized for political reasons."¹

Political response

Ozgur Ozel, who leads the main opposition New Party, denounced both the raid and the installation of a trustee. He said the move was intended to prevent people from obtaining news, according to The Straits Times and AOL. The BBC reported that the Istanbul Bar Association said the action occurred only hours before imprisoned Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu was scheduled to start answering corruption accusations in his defence.¹²⁴

Press-freedom groups condemned the action and warned of a crackdown, according to Associated Press. Rights groups and Western countries have previously criticised the Turkish government’s human-rights record and its approach to press freedom, The Straits Times and AOL reported.²³⁴