Turkish police raid opposition news channel and stop broadcasts

Turkish police in riot gear have raided the Istanbul office of Halk TV, a major pro-opposition news channel, and stopped its live broadcasts. Financial crimes police searched the building on Wednesday morning and prevented employees from entering. The government also appointed a new administrator to run the channel.

Arrests And Allegations

Prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 17 people as part of an investigation into channel chairman Cafer Mahiroğlu over bribery, money laundering and rigging tenders. Police took 11 people into custody during the raid. Mahiroğlu was not in the country during the operation, but stated on social media that seven members of his family were among those detained. Calling the move a dark day for Turkey, he said the public right to information was being taken away for political reasons.

Reactions And Political Impact

The Istanbul Bar Association criticized the raid because it happened just hours before Ekrem Imamoğlu, a key rival of Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, was due to start his defense against corruption charges in court. Imamoğlu has been in prison for over a year. Özgür Özel, leader of the opposition New Party, also condemned the police action as weak and cowardly. Özel stated that storming a TV channel at dawn and appointing a trustee is something only dictators do.

Context

Turkey ranks 163rd out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, which notes that 90% of national media outlets are under government control. This event follows a series of recent crackdowns on media critical of President Erdoğan and his ruling AK party, including the seizure of control over another pro-opposition channel named Tele1 in October 2025 and the closure of a news site in September over alleged LGBT propaganda.