The police operation conducted at Halk TV's building in Istanbul, the appointment of trustees to the channel's management, and the suspension of live broadcasts received extensive coverage in the international press. Reuters, the Associated Press (AP), Agence France-Presse (AFP), EFE, and several European newspapers reported the development alongside discussions regarding press and expression freedom in Turkey.
In reports based on statements from Halk TV, it was noted that police teams entered the building in the morning hours, live broadcasts were cut at 06:30 Turkish time, and employees were not allowed inside during the search. The international agencies also reported that the channel's Editor-in-Chief, Suat Toktaş, met with the board of trustees to ensure broadcasts continued, but this request was not accepted.
PRESS FREEDOM WAS ON THE AGENDA OF THE AGENCIES
Reuters served the development to its subscribers with the headline "Turkish police raid opposition television channel's building." The agency recalled criticisms directed at the government by human rights organizations and Western countries regarding press freedom in Turkey; it also reported that CHP Chairman Özgür Özel described the action as an attempt to obstruct the public's right to receive information.
AFP evaluated the appointment of trustees to Halk TV as one of the latest examples of pressure on media, political, and civil society circles in Turkey. Speaking to AFP, press freedom advocate Erol Önderoğlu said, "The appointment of trustees to Halk TV following TELE1, and the judiciary focusing solely on critical broadcasts, indicates that independent journalism in Turkey may be on the path to extinction."
In its report, the Associated Press defined Halk TV as one of the few broadcasting organizations in Turkey that does not align with the government. AP wrote that press freedom organizations and opposition parties view the operation as a new step aimed at silencing opposition voices. The agency also recalled that Turkey ranks 163rd out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' world press freedom index.
The French newspaper Le Parisien included the statement from the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) that the operation targets press freedom. While Greece's Kathimerini described the intervention as the "latest blow to media freedom," Sweden's Svenska Dagbladet announced the development with the headline of a police operation against an opposition television channel.
The Spanish news agency EFE also defined Halk TV as one of the main television channels critical of the government. The agency stated that the channel had previously faced administrative fines and sanctions involving the suspension of programs.
According to AP, the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office includes charges of bid-rigging, bribery, and money laundering against Halk TV Chairman of the Board Cafer Mahiroğlu. It was noted that detention warrants were issued for 17 suspects as part of the investigation, and 11 of them have been detained.
International reports also emphasized that the intervention against Halk TV occurred two weeks after an access ban was imposed on the independent news site T24. Citing data from the Journalists Union of Turkey, AFP reported that 17 journalists are currently in prison in the country.
News Source: 12punto
