By Tuvan Gumrukcu
ANKARA, Oct 14 (Reuters) – Turkish authorities appointed a government trustee to run pro-opposition broadcaster Halk TV, prosecutors said on Wednesday, as police raided the channel’s Istanbul office in a case that has renewed concerns about media freedom in the country.
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office said its financial crimes unit had conducted an investigation into Halk TV Chairman Cafer Mahiroglu over “bribery, tender-rigging, and laundering of assets derived from crime”, adding that evidence, witness statements and transaction records showed criminal activity.
The prosecutor’s statement said it had issued detention orders for 17 people, including Mahiroglu, and 11 of them had been detained. Firms in which Mahiroglu is a partner or administrator have been seized and the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) has been appointed as trustee, the statement added.
Mahiroglu, who is currently outside Turkey, is being sought by the authorities.
“Hundreds of police have entered the building. Entry into the Halk TV building is not being permitted while a search is being conducted inside,” the broadcaster said on its website.
The channel’s live broadcast was cut at 6:30 a.m. (0330 GMT), after which pre-recorded material began airing.
Deniz Bayramoglu, a programmer at Halk TV, said on X that Editor-in-Chief Suat Toktas had tried to argue with the head of the trustee delegation to continue the broadcast but that this was not permitted.
CRACKDOWN ON PRESS FREEDOM
The move makes Halk TV the fifth major Turkish news outlet to have a trustee appointed, following similar legal decisions for Flash TV, Eko Turk, Haberturk and Tele1.
The government has often used the appointment of trustees in recent years to take over the administration of municipalities or to seize companies. It has long appointed political trustees to take charge of municipalities in southeastern Turkey, removing elected mayors from a pro-Kurdish opposition party.
Authorities have more recently appointed trustees to several major opposition-held municipalities as part of an unprecedented legal crackdown on the opposition, prompting some mayors to join President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party.
Rights groups and Western countries have criticised Erdogan’s government over its human rights record and crackdown on press freedom in recent years as it establishes tighter control over mainstream media. Several opposition or independent outlets have experienced access bans, fines, and other restrictions.
Ozgur Ozel, chairman of the main opposition New Party, condemned the move against Halk TV, saying it was an attempt by the government to prevent people from accessing news.
“Dawn raid on a television channel, appointing a trustee — only dictators would do such a thing,” Ozel said on X.
“Those who appoint trustees to municipalities and trample the people’s will have now appointed a trustee to Halk TV, watched by millions. Because THEY ARE IMPOTENT AND COWARDS!”
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Can Sezer; Editing by Saad Sayeed and Gareth Jones)
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