Turkish government raids most-watched TV channel, appoints new manager

Turkish authorities have raided the country's most-watched TV channel, interrupting a live broadcast, and appointed a new government-backed manager in a move derided as censorship of critical coverage. Halk TV chairman Cafer Mahiroglu said it was a "dark day for Turkey", and reported that seven of his family members had been detained, including his 70-year-old brother, in sweeping arrests targeting the company. "Police raid at Halk TV headquarters! A trustee [manager] has been appointed, broadcasts have been halted," the channel posted on X as its live news channel and YouTube broadcasts were cut. Police detained 11 people as part of an investigation into Mahiroglu, who is facing accusations of bribery, rigging tenders and money laundering. Warrants have been issued for 17 people, though Mahiroglu has not been detained as he lives abroad. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "The public's right to information is being seized for political reasons," he said on X, denouncing the allegations as "baseless". "Using the judiciary as a weapon is the greatest harm inflicted on Turkey." Turkey has developed a reputation in recent decades for cracking down on opposition media and political parties, particularly those associated with leftists, pro-Kurdish groups and organisations linked to late cleric Fethullah Gulen. In recent years, however, the Justce and Development Party (AKP) government has increasingly targeted institutions associated with the main Republican People's Party (CHP), and its recent split, the New Party. 'It sends a clear message of intimidation to the entire press' - Ricardo Gutierrez, European Federation of Journalists New Party head Ozgur Ozel said on social media that the raid on Halk TV, which had long been associated with the CHP, was linked to the ongoing case against jailed former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, which is reaching a key stage. The arrest of Imamoglu last year, on charges including corruption, bribery and support for proscribed groups, was widely seen as being due to his popularity and polling suggesting he could unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ricardo Gutierrez, the general secretary of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) said the situation was "extremely worrying". "Placing Halk TV under a trustee and taking it off air, on the very day Ekrem Imamoglu begins his defence, deprives the public of its right to information at a crucial moment," he told Middle East Eye. "Together with journalists being detained, put under house arrest and censored, it sends a clear message of intimidation to the entire press - the EFJ calls on the Turkish authorities to immediately end the trustee appointment, allow Halk TV to resume broadcasting, and let journalists do their work without pressure.” Expanding crackdown The Halk TV operation is the latest move in a wide-ranging crackdown on critical media in Turkey, which has escalated in recent weeks. Hundreds of people and organisations have been detained and raided, particularly pro-LGBTQ+ organisations, while hundreds of social media accounts and websites have been banned. More than 80 people have now been formally arrested and remain in jail pending trial. Detainees have faced charges of "obscenity", "assisting prostitution" and having "financial links abroad", while the government and its supporters have pushed a narrative of protecting family values. Azerbaijan accuses Turkey of stoking tensions over headscarf ban Read More » The government has also imposed bans on hundreds of media outlets' websites and social media profiles. Last week, the Freedom of Expression Association (IFOD) - which monitors internet and media freedom in Turkey - was among those to find its X accounts restricted, including its EngelliWeb project which specifically monitors social media bans in the country. At the request of the Turkish authorities, X has also blocked the accounts of Amnesty International Turkey, the left-wing Evrensel newspaper, Academics for Peace, and the Media and Law Studies Association, among others. Other accounts blocked include the Sexual Education, Treatment and Research Association (CETAD) - which provides support to people living with HIV - and the Psychiatric Association of Turkey (TPD). "It has always been bad but perhaps not this bad for freedom of expression and press freedom in Turkey," IFOD founder Yaman Akdeniz told MEE. "The censorship wave has become a tsunami during September and that is continuing to hit the media, civil society as well as anyone critical of the government."