Turkish Authorities Raid Halk TV and Halt Broadcasts
Turkish authorities raided Halk TV headquarters in Istanbul on Wednesday 14 October. Authorities halted the channel's broadcasts.
They also appointed a trustee to take control of its operations. An investigation was also opened.
Prosecutors said the probe concerned alleged bribery, bid-rigging and money laundering. Warrants were issued for 17 people and 11 were detained.
Halk TV chairman Cafer Mahiroglu was not among the 11. Mahiroglu called the move against the headquarters “a dark day for Turkey.” Opposition and rights groups criticized the move.
Halk TV is described as an independent broadcaster that supports the opposition. France 24 called it Turkey's most-watched news channel.
The New York Times called it the last big critic of Erdogan. The New York Times reported authorities replaced leaders at five major outlets.
Jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu faces a corruption trial. The raid came hours before his defense was due to begin. Reports also link T24's shutdown to recent limits on other opposition media.
Key Terms 5
- trustee A person given control of a business or channel by authorities.
- Ekrem İmamoğlu Istanbul's mayor, now jailed while facing corruption charges.
- bid-rigging Secretly fixing contract bids so one bidder wins.
- money laundering Hiding illegal money to make it look legal.
- T24 Turkish opposition news outlet.