Overview
- On Wednesday police raided Halk TV’s Istanbul headquarters, halted its live broadcasts and a court-appointed trustee was put in charge of the channel.
- The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into owner Cafer Mahiroglu for alleged bid rigging, bribery and money laundering and issued 17 detention warrants with 11 people held.
- Courts ordered the seizure of companies linked to Mahiroglu while staff reported being blocked from the building and the channel’s live feed was replaced with pre-recorded material.
- Mahiroglu denied the charges, said he lives abroad, reported that several relatives were detained, and journalists and press groups warned the takeover undermines newsroom independence and access to information.
- Domestic and international watchdogs including Amnesty and the Committee to Protect Journalists framed the move as part of a wider campaign that has seen prior trustee appointments, social media bans and restrictions on independent outlets.