Turkish police have raided the headquarters of a pro-opposition TV channel, halting its live broadcasts.
Halk TV said its employees were unable to enter the building in Istanbul on Wednesday morning, and that a new manager had been appointed to run the channel.
Reports in Turkish media said financial crimes police were searching the building and 11 people had been taken into custody in the raid linked to the channel’s owner.
Halk TV has been seen by many in the country as being close to the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). It often voices criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling AK party.
The station’s news channel and live broadcasts on its YouTube page were both offline early on Wednesday.
Prosecutors said arrest warrants had been issued for 17 people as part of the investigation into Halk chairman Cafer Mahiroğlu on allegations of bribery, rigging tenders and money laundering, Turkish media reported.
Mahiroğlu, who was reportedly not in the country during the raid, wrote on social media that the channel “belongs to the Turkish people. It cannot be seized and surrendered to a trustee”.
In May, a Turkish court removed the CHP leadership from running the party, in a move the opposition said further cemented Erdoğan’s grip on power.
Meanwhile, Istanbul’s popular Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, widely seen as Erdoğan’s biggest political rival, has been in prison for over a year over corruption accusations. He denies all the charges.
