Story perspectives

Turkish authorities raid Halk TV, detain 11

By Drooid · Oct 14, 2026, 10:47 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Turkish authorities raided Halk TV in Istanbul, halted broadcasts and installed a trustee hours before Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s trial defence.
Police entered at dawn on Wednesday, cutting the signal at 6:30 a.m. (0330 GMT).
Prosecutors issued 17 detention warrants and detained 11 people, including chairman Cafer Mahiroglu.
The probe accuses Mahiroglu of bribery, tender-rigging and money-laundering.
Mahiroglu, abroad, said seven relatives were detained and called the charges baseless.

History

Historical Context

After the failed July 15 2016 coup, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued emergency decrees that closed at least 131 media outlets—including 45 newspapers and 16 TV channels—and led to the arrest of roughly 117 journalists. The crackdown created a precedent of pre-trial broadcast bans, which resurfaced in March 2024 when Turkish police seized Halk TV’s Istanbul studio, cut its signal at 6:30 a.m., and detained relatives of chairman Cafer Mahiroglu.

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Story summary

Turkish authorities raided Halk TV in Istanbul, halted broadcasts and installed a trustee hours before Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s trial defence.
Police entered at dawn on Wednesday, cutting the signal at 6:30 a.m. (0330 GMT).
Prosecutors issued 17 detention warrants and detained 11 people, including chairman Cafer Mahiroglu.
The probe accuses Mahiroglu of bribery, tender-rigging and money-laundering.
Mahiroglu, abroad, said seven relatives were detained and called the charges baseless.

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