Turkish police raided the headquarters of Halk TV, the country's most-watched news channel, early Wednesday, suspending its broadcasts and placing the opposition-aligned broadcaster under the control of a government-appointed administrator, reported AFP.
Authorities also searched several homes and detained 11 people, including a journalist and seven relatives of Halk TV chairman Cafer Mahiroglu, as part of a criminal investigation involving allegations of corruption and money laundering.
"Police raid at Halk TV headquarters! A trustee has been appointed, broadcasts have been halted," the broadcaster announced on X as its television and YouTube transmissions were interrupted during the pre-dawn operation.
Prosecutors said arrest warrants had been issued for 17 suspects in an investigation targeting Mahiroglu over alleged bribery, manipulation of public tenders and money laundering.
They confirmed that companies owned jointly or managed by Mahiroglu had been seized and placed under the supervision of appointed trustees.
Mahiroglu, who resides outside Turkey and is himself named in the arrest warrant, rejected the accusations as "baseless" and accused the authorities of exploiting the judicial system to suppress critical media coverage.
In a video posted on X, he confirmed that seven members of his family had been detained, including his 70-year-old brother.
"The public's right to information is being seized for political reasons," Mahiroglu said.
"Using the judiciary as a weapon is the greatest harm inflicted on Turkey," he added. "We will get our channel back."
Mahiroglu described the developments as "a dark day for Turkey".
Video footage captured the interruption of a live interview concerning a major investment-fund scandal, with the broadcast abruptly replaced by a classic film released in 1973.
The police operation drew immediate condemnation from international human rights organizations and Turkish opposition figures.
Amnesty International described the intervention as "a brutal blow to media freedom", while Human Rights Watch called it "a dramatic assault on free speech and media freedom".
The takeover is the latest in a series of government actions against Turkish media organizations critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Halk TV itself has repeatedly faced penalties from Turkey's broadcasting regulator and was threatened with possible closure last year because of its critical coverage of the president.
In 2025, authorities also seized control of Tele1, another opposition-oriented television station, and installed a trustee to oversee its operations.
Although Tele1 remains on the air, its news programming was removed and its previous opposition editorial stance effectively eliminated.
Turkey has faced longstanding criticism over restrictions on freedom of expression, including website blocking, increased government influence over the judiciary and internet, and prosecutions of journalists and citizens accused of insulting senior officials.
Previous cases have included a 17-year-old investigated over a Facebook post allegedly insulting Erdogan, a philosophy professor questioned over an article accusing the president of corruption, and a former Miss Turkey prosecuted over social media commentary critical of the president.
In December 2016, authorities detained the cafeteria manager of the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet after he reportedly said he would refuse to serve Erdogan tea.
The restrictions have also extended to entertainment figures. Last month, prosecutors charged Turkish comedian Deniz Goktas over jokes delivered during a stand-up performance in June.
Goktas initially faced allegations of insulting Erdogan and inciting public hatred. Prosecutors subsequently added a charge of praising crime and criminals.