In brief
Police from the financial crimes unit stormed the Istanbul premises of Halk TV, seizing equipment and filing 17 arrest warrants against the channel’s owner. The raid silenced the station’s live broadcasts at a time when Turkey faces mounting criticism over media freedom. Halk TV has long opposed President Erdogan’s ruling party, praising its critics and demanding electoral reform. The crackdown follows a recent court move that removed CHP leadership and the imprisonment of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamo·lu, intensifying tensions between the government and opposition forces. Officials say a new manager has been appointed, but audiences remain unable to watch live transmissions.
Turkish police raided the headquarters of Halk TV on Wednesday, a channel widely seen as the voice of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), stopping its live broadcasts.
Reports say the police, from the financial crimes unit, searched the endowments wing of the Istanbul studio and seized equipment. The raid followed the arrest of several employees and the issuance of 17 arrest warrants related to the station’s owner.
Halk TV has long criticised President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party and has pressed for electoral and judicial reforms. The move comes amid a series of crackdowns on dissent after the recent court decision that removed CHP leadership and the imprisonment of the popular mayor of Istanbul for corruption, charges the mayor denies.
Opposition groups warn that the raid signals a widening clampdown on media freedom in Turkey. The station’s new manager has been appointed to keep operations running, but live transmission remains suspended.
