Turkish police have swooped on the Istanbul offices of a pro-opposition television channel, forcing it off the air. Halk TV said its staff were kept out of the building on Wednesday morning and that a new manager had been named to run the station.
Financial crimes probe and arrest warrants at Halk TV
Turkish media reports said financial crimes officers were searching the premises. They also said 17 arrest warrants were issued in the operation, which is linked to the channel’s owner.
Halk TV is widely viewed as close to the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). It frequently criticises the ruling AK party of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Political backdrop to the Halk TV raid
In May, a Turkish court removed the CHP leadership from running the party. The opposition said the move further strengthened Erdoğan’s hold on power.
Istanbul’s popular mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, is widely seen as Erdoğan’s biggest political rival. He has been held in prison for more than a year over corruption accusations, which he denies in full.
