Turkish authorities have taken control of Halk TV, one of the country’s most popular television news channels, halting its live broadcasts in a dawn police operation that has drawn widespread condemnation at home and abroad.
The raid on Wednesday 14 October coincided with jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu beginning his defence in a major corruption trial, intensifying concerns that the intervention was intended to silence a prominent government critic at a politically sensitive moment.
Police entered the broadcaster’s Istanbul headquarters as authorities installed state-appointed management under an investigation into its owner, businessman Cafer Mahiroğlu.
Live news coverage was replaced by recorded programmes, including old Turkish films. Staff were initially prevented from entering the building, although some were subsequently allowed inside.
Mahiroğlu has denied the allegations against him and accused the authorities of using the judiciary for political purposes. International rights organisations say an investigation into a media owner cannot justify taking over a newsroom and depriving millions of viewers of independent reporting.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said it was investigating allegations of bribery, tender-rigging and money laundering. Detention orders were issued for 17 people, including Mahiroğlu, with 11 initially taken into custody. Mahiroğlu is currently abroad.
Police carry out a dawn raid at Istanbul studios and headquarters of independent news channel Halk TV, 14 Oct. 2026
According to the prosecutors’ statement, reported by Medyascope, investigators allege that Mahiroğlu used connections within İzmir Metropolitan Municipality to facilitate the establishment of vehicle maintenance company BUSTECH and obtain improper benefits through municipal contracts.
Prosecutors cited financial intelligence supplied by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board, MASAK, alongside witness statements and other material. They alleged that assets and financial transactions involving Mahiroğlu and relatives were inconsistent with their declared income, which Mahiroğlu firmly rejects.
In a video statement published on Wednesday, Mahiroğlu said: “All the allegations made against me on the basis of MASAK reports are baseless.”
Mahiroğlu will be familiar to many British Turks through his ownership of Select Fashion, the UK womenswear retailer whose business entered liquidation in 2025. He acquired Halk TV in 2020, which has consistently been among the most watched news channels in Türkiye, and expanded its media operations.
The removal of Halk TV’s live news service was an immediate consequence of the takeover. Medyascope reported that editor-in-chief Suat Toktaş asked the trustee delegation to allow live broadcasting to continue in the public interest, but his request was refused. Toktaş, in turn, rejected an invitation to work with the new management.
Widespread condemnation
Human Rights Watch highlighted what viewers lost at the moment of intervention: a live interview about an investment-fund scandal implicating prominent figures in President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling party was replaced by footage from an old Turkish film.
The organisation said the suppression of a critical broadcaster violated the rights of its journalists and workers, as well as the public’s rights to information and freedom of expression.
The timing of the raid has attracted particular scrutiny. İmamoğlu, widely regarded as one of Erdoğan’s strongest political rivals, began presenting his defence on Wednesday in the sprawling case concerning Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
Halk TV had been expected to devote extensive coverage to the proceedings. Amnesty International explicitly drew attention to the coincidence, while opposition leader Özgür Özel said the timing was ‘no accident’.
Türkiye ranks 163rd out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 World Press Freedom Index
For critics, the central concern is the use of an investigation into an owner to remove a broadcaster’s editorial independence before criminal responsibility has been determined.
In a joint statement published on Thursday, ARTICLE 19 Europe, the International Press Institute and other organisations argued that allegations against owners or executives concern individual responsibility and must be examined with respect for the presumption of innocence. They said those allegations do not themselves justify taking over a newsroom and stopping its broadcasts as a pre-trial measure.
Under the PES umbrella, Europe’s left wing political parties also issued a damning statement criticising the Turkish authorities:
“Silencing independent media is an attack on democracy. The raid on Halk TV, the detention of 11 people and the appointment of a trustee are deeply alarming developments for press freedom in Türkiye. We condemn these actions and stand in solidarity with Halk TV, its journalists, workers and their families.”
“Erdoğan’s crackdown on press freedom continues. Critical voices must be protected, not silenced,” their statement continued.
Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş also condemned the intervention as an infringement of press freedom and the public’s right to information. He pointed to Article 28 of Türkiye’s Constitution, which states: “The press is free and shall not be censored.”
Yavaş said press freedom protects citizens as well as journalists, and that criticism is an essential part of democracy.
A statement signed by 284 former parliamentarians also called for Halk TV’s freedom to broadcast to be immediately guaranteed, warning that silencing the press threatens democracy, the rule of law and the public’s access to information, BirGün reported.
The intervention prompted protests outside the broadcaster’s offices. AFP reported that around 100 people gathered outside its Ankara branch, while opposition MPs staged a silent protest in parliament with black ribbons over their eyes and tape across their mouths.
International condemnation was similarly forceful. Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for Europe, Esther Major, called the operation “a brutal blow to media freedom” and demanded the restoration of Halk TV’s independent operations.
The Committee to Protect Journalists also called for control to be returned immediately. Its Türkiye representative, Özgür Öğret, said: “Seizing Halk TV strikes at the heart of press freedom in Turkey where the vast majority of news outlets are pro-government.”
European Parliament Türkiye rapporteur Nacho Sánchez Amor accused the authorities of seeking total control of the media. In a social media statement, he said they appeared dissatisfied with controlling 90 per cent of outlets and were aiming for 100 per cent, warning that media freedom and freedom of expression were being steadily extinguished.
The silencing of independent Turkish TV
The Halk TV takeover follows a succession of interventions against Turkish broadcasters. Bianet calculated that ten television channels had been placed under TMSF trusteeship since March 2025, including Flash Haber, Ekotürk, TELE1 and six channels belonging to Can Holding, among them Habertürk, Show TV and Bloomberg HT.
The cases involve different investigations and allegations, but together represent a substantial concentration of broadcasting outlets under state-appointed management.
The TELE1 precedent has caused particular concern. Following its takeover in October 2025, live news programmes were replaced by documentaries. A group of presenters, managers and other journalists subsequently resigned, citing interference in the channel’s editorial policy.
Pressure also extends to digital journalism. CPJ reported that a court had ordered Halk TV’s social media accounts blocked from access within Türkiye, adding to wider restrictions affecting journalists and rights defenders.
Türkiye ranks 163rd out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 World Press Freedom Index.
The Turkish government maintains that the judiciary is independent. Reuters reported on Wednesday that it had not publicly commented on the latest action against Halk TV.
