Turkish police raid opposition TV, halting dwell broadcasts

Turkish police have raided the headquarters of a pro-opposition TV channel, halting its dwell broadcasts.

Halk TV stated its staff have been unable to enter the constructing in Istanbul on Wednesday morning, and {that a} new supervisor had been appointed to run the channel.

Reports in Turkish media stated monetary crimes police have been looking out the constructing and 11 individuals had been taken into custody within the raid linked to the channel’s proprietor.

Halk TV has been seen by many within the nation as being near the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). It typically voices criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling AK get together.

The station’s information channel and dwell broadcasts on its YouTube web page have been each offline early on Wednesday.

Prosecutors stated arrest warrants had been issued for 17 individuals as a part of the investigation into Halk chairman Cafer Mahiroğlu on allegations of bribery, rigging tenders and cash laundering, Turkish media reported.

Mahiroğlu, who was reportedly not within the nation in the course of the raid, wrote on social media that seven members of his household have been amongst these detained.

“Today is a darkish day for Turkey,” he stated in a video message. “The public’s proper to data is being seized for political causes.”

The Istanbul Bar Association denounced the transfer, which it famous got here hours earlier than Ekrem Imamoğlu, extensively seen as Erdoğan’s greatest political rival, was attributable to start his defence towards corruption fees in courtroom, for which he has been in jail for over a 12 months.