Istanbul, October 14, 2026—Turkish authorities must immediately return control of Halk TV, one of the few remaining media voices critical of the government, to its staff and cease their relentless efforts to stifle the free flow of information in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.
Police officers raided Halk TV’s headquarters in Istanbul Wednesday morning, stopping live broadcasts and preventing staff from entering the building, although some posted on X that they were later allowed in.
Halk TV said on X that authorities assigned a trustee, or administrator, to take over the outlet, while news reports said the raid was linked to a criminal investigation into owner Cafer Mahiroğlu, whose other assets were seized as well.
Mahiroğlu, who lives abroad, said in a video message on X that seven of his relatives in Turkey were in police custody, and that the accusations against him were false.
“Seizing Halk TV strikes at the heart of press freedom in Turkey where the vast majority of news outlets are pro-government. Halk TV is one of the very few remaining broadcasters that criticize the government and this action is a devastating blow to the Turkish people’s right to freedom of information and expression,” said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey representative. “Control of Halk TV must immediately be returned to its staff and this deeply alarming and damaging crackdown on journalism must end.”
Turkey is witnessing an intense and sustained crackdown on independent and pro-opposition media, with dozens of journalists arrested or detained so far this year. Turkish authorities have also blocked access to thousands of social media accounts belonging to journalists and rights defenders. In October last year, authorities also seized the TELE1 broadcaster and appointed a trustee.
At the time of publication, Halk TV’s website and its social media accounts were still being run by staff while the TV station was broadcasting music and documentaries. But a court ordered all Halk TV’s social media accounts to be blocked to access from Turkey, local media reported.
In a statement, the Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul said Mahiroğlu was under investigation for “bribery, collusion tendering, and laundering criminally obtained assets.” The statement said an arrest warrant had been issued for Mahiroğlu and 16 other suspects.
According to the statement, companies that Mahiroğlu is a partner of or a director at, alongside companies that he has ties to, were all seized by a court order.
CPJ emailed the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office for comment but did not receive a reply.