ISTANBUL, Turkey — Turkish police raided the headquarters of Halk TV, one of the country’s most-watched news broadcasters, and detained 11 people.
Authorities also suspended the channel’s live broadcasts and appointed a government administrator to take control of its operations.
The raid on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, was linked to a corruption investigation involving the broadcaster’s chairman, Cafer Mahiroğlu.
The intervention prompted protests from opposition politicians and journalists, who accused President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government of attempting to silence independent media.
Later in the day, Turkish authorities also ordered restrictions on Halk TV’s social media accounts, which have millions of followers.
Police Shut Down Broadcasts During Dawn Raid
Police entered Halk TV’s headquarters in Istanbul’s Zeytinburnu district before dawn, while riot officers surrounded the building and prevented employees from entering.
Financial crimes investigators searched the broadcaster’s offices.
Television programming was interrupted at about 6.30 a.m., and the channel also suspended its live YouTube broadcasts.
Footage of the interruption showed a live interview about an investment fund scandal abruptly replaced by a Turkish film from 1973.
The broadcaster announced the operation on X, confirming that a government-appointed trustee had taken control of its management and that live programming had stopped.
#CANLI | Halkın Kanalı Halk TV’ye Şafak Vakti Kayyum Atandı! Polis Ekipleri Kanal Önünde… https://t.co/WfORSb5vMS
— Halk TV (@halktvcomtrr) October 14, 2026
Journalists arriving for work found the premises surrounded by police.
Deniz Bayramoğlu, a Halk TV presenter, said editor-in-chief Suat Toktaş had attempted to negotiate with the newly appointed administrators to resume broadcasting but was unsuccessful.
Other employees reported that they could not access their offices or continue their work.
Some journalists were subsequently permitted to enter the premises, although the station remained under the control of the appointed administrators.
According to Agence France-Presse, hundreds of riot police were deployed outside the building, where employees and supporters gathered in the rain.
Prosecutors Investigate Broadcaster’s Chairman
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office said the operation formed part of an investigation into Mahiroğlu involving allegations of bribery, manipulation of public tenders, and money laundering.
Prosecutors issued detention warrants for 17 suspects, 11 of whom were taken into custody.
Four other suspects were reported to be abroad, one was already imprisoned, and another remained the subject of a police search.
Among those detained were seven relatives of Mahiroğlu, who lives outside Turkey.
The authorities also seized companies connected to the broadcaster’s chairman and appointed trustees to manage them.
According to a report in Hürriyet Daily News, prosecutors cited financial records, witness testimony, and statements obtained during their investigation.
They alleged that companies associated with Mahiroğlu had conducted transactions totalling 30.35 billion Turkish lira.
The total represents the reported volume of transactions examined by investigators, not an established amount of criminal proceeds.
The prosecution also alleged irregularities involving municipal contracts and companies connected to Mahiroğlu.
The authorities have not publicly established that the broadcaster’s journalistic activities formed part of the alleged financial offences.
Chairman Denies Allegations and Condemns Takeover
Mahiroğlu rejected the accusations and described the seizure of the television station as politically motivated.
In a video statement published on X, he said the intervention was an attempt to prevent the public from receiving independent news.
“The public’s right to information is being seized for political reasons,” he said.
Halk Tv, Türk Halkı’nındır. Kayyum’la teslim alınamaz. https://t.co/mAhsmhpTUU
— Cafer Mahiroglu (@cafermahiroglu) October 14, 2026
He also confirmed that seven members of his family had been detained, including his 70-year-old brother.
Mahiroğlu called the allegations against him baseless and accused the authorities of misusing the legal system.
“Using the judiciary as a weapon is the greatest harm inflicted on Turkey,” he said.
He pledged to challenge the takeover and regain control of the station.
“We will get our channel back,” he said.
His statements followed confirmation that the authorities had appointed administrators to manage Halk TV and other companies associated with him.
Authorities Order Restrictions on Social Media Accounts
The intervention expanded later on Wednesday when a court ordered access restrictions on Halk TV’s accounts across six social media platforms.
The affected services include YouTube, X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Telegram.
According to the Turkish independent news organisation Bianet, the accounts have more than 8.5 million followers and subscribers combined.
The order was issued under Article 8/A of Turkey’s internet legislation, which allows restrictions on online content under specified conditions involving national security, public order, and other public interests.
The Freedom of Expression Association, a Turkish organisation that monitors internet restrictions, reported the decision.
The restrictions were ordered after the broadcaster’s live television and YouTube programming had already been interrupted.
It was not immediately clear whether all the social media platforms had implemented the restrictions.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said the broadcaster’s staff were still operating its website and social media accounts when it issued its statement, although television programming had been replaced with music and documentaries.
Opposition Condemns Police Operation
The raid occurred hours before the defence was due to begin presenting arguments in a major corruption trial involving Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul’s imprisoned mayor and a prominent opponent of Erdoğan.
İmamoğlu has been detained for more than a year and denies the corruption allegations against him.
Halk TV has extensively covered his prosecution and other legal proceedings involving opposition figures.
Özgür Özel, leader of the main opposition New Party, condemned the police operation and questioned its timing.
“Storming a TV channel with a police raid at dawn and appointing a trustee is something only dictators do,” he said.
Özel said the authorities had taken control of a station watched by millions while a major opposition trial was taking place.
The opposition leader argued that the takeover demonstrated the government’s willingness to use state institutions against its critics.
The government has not established a connection between the timing of the raid and the İmamoğlu trial.
Halk TV has frequently criticised Erdoğan’s administration and faced sanctions from Turkey’s broadcasting regulator.
Last year, the regulator warned that the station could face closure over its programming.
Press Freedom Organisations Demand Reversal
International press freedom organisations called for Halk TV’s independence to be restored.
Amnesty International described the takeover as a serious blow to media freedom.
Human Rights Watch also condemned the intervention, saying it threatened freedom of expression.
The Committee to Protect Journalists urged Turkish authorities to return control of the broadcaster to its journalists.
Özgür Öğret, the organisation’s Turkey representative, said the action would further restrict access to independent news in a country where much of the media is aligned with the government.
“Control of Halk TV must immediately be returned to its staff,” he said.
Journalists’ organisations also protested the operation.
In Ankara, opposition lawmakers staged a silent demonstration, covering their eyes with black ribbons and their mouths with black tape.
Outside Halk TV’s Ankara offices, protesters gathered to express support for the broadcaster.
The Contemporary Journalists Association said the suspension of broadcasts and appointment of administrators threatened constitutional protections for freedom of expression and access to information.
Turkey’s Independent Media Face Further Restrictions
The raid follows other government interventions involving media organisations critical of Erdoğan.
In 2025, Turkish authorities took control of the opposition-oriented television station Tele1 and appointed administrators to oversee its operations.
The station subsequently stopped broadcasting much of its previous political news programming.
More recently, authorities blocked access to the website and social media accounts of T24, an independent digital news organisation, citing allegations concerning its content.
Journalists have also been detained or prosecuted over reports involving financial and political scandals.
According to the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders, Turkey ranks 163rd among 180 countries assessed for press freedom.
The government has defended restrictions on some online accounts on public safety grounds.
Human rights organisations, however, have argued that the measures undermine freedom of expression and access to independent reporting.
On Monday, more than 20 organisations urged social media companies to resist Turkish court orders requiring the blocking of accounts belonging to journalists, activists, and independent news organisations.
The Associated Press reported that the appeal followed restrictions affecting more than 1,200 accounts.
The legal investigation into Mahiroğlu remains ongoing.
Authorities have not announced when Halk TV will be permitted to resume independent live news broadcasts.
