Turkish Police Raid Opposition TV Station, Halt Live Broadcast

This is the latest in a series of crackdowns on media critical of Turkish President Erdogan and his government.

By Yaroslav Lukiv, Maya Davis and Emre Moro

Turkish police raided the headquarters of one of the most watched news channels in the country and stopped its live broadcast.

Reports in Turkish media indicate that financial crimes police are searching the premises of Hulk TV, a pro-opposition channel, and that 11 people have been arrested in a raid linked to the channel's owner. The government also appointed a new director to run the canal.

This is the latest in a series of crackdowns on news sources critical of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his government.

Several reporters at X said that Hulk journalists were initially unable to enter the building, although they were later allowed to enter.

They said there was a heavy police presence in the building.

The Hulk News Channel and the live stream on its YouTube page were both offline early Wednesday.

The channel is seen by many in the country as close to the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). He often criticizes the ruling Justice and Development Party led by Erdogan.

Turkish media reported that prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 17 people as part of an investigation into Halk chairman Kafir Mahiroglu on charges of bribery, bid rigging and money laundering.

Mahiroglu, who is said to have not been in the country during the attack, wrote on social networks that seven members of his family were among those arrested.

He said in a video message: Today is a dark day for Türkiye. People's right to information is taken away for political reasons.

The Istanbul Bar Association condemned the move, which came hours before Akram Imamoglu, widely seen as Erdogan's biggest political rival, was due to begin his defense against corruption charges in court as he has been in prison for more than a year.

Özgur Ozel, the leader of the opposition New Party, called the attack "weak and cowardly".

He wrote on social networks: "Attack on a TV channel with a police raid at dawn and appointing a custodian is something that only dictators do."

Özel founded the party after he was ousted as CHP leader by a court in May and replaced by a party veteran who had already voted, in a move that deepened Erdogan's grip on power.

Turkey was ranked 163 out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index (RSF).

It said 90 percent of the national media was under state control and criticized the "improper investigation" of critical publications in the country, which Erdogan has led since 2003.

The vast majority of Turkish media are pro-government after years of legal and financial government pressure, corporate takeovers, and self-censorship.

In September, a court ordered the blocking of access to T24's website and social media accounts for publishing "LGBT propaganda."

In October 2025, authorities took control of Tele1, another pro-opposition television channel, and appointed a custodian to oversee the broadcasts, which were stripped of all hard news content.

The channel still exists, but the opposing position has been completely neutralized.