Police entered the Istanbul headquarters of Halk TV early on 14 October, and a trustee was appointed to take over the television channel’s management. The channel’s broadcasts were subsequently halted and associated social media accounts were blocked, in a move that has prompted protests from politicians and press freedom organisations. This is not the first time the Turkish state has taken such action against opposition broadcasters, previously the channel Tele1 was also forcibly placed under trustee control.
Özgür Özel, leader of the Yeni Parti, condemned the intervention, saying: “The appointment of a trustee to Halk TV, watched by millions, follows the appointment of trustees to municipalities.”
He also expressed solidarity with the channel’s staff, stating: “We stand with Halk TV, press freedom, and the hundreds of workers employed there and their families.”
The intervention has renewed concerns about media independence and the ability of journalists to report freely in Turkey. Media commentators have also highlighted that four days ago, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the former leader of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), targeted Halk TV, saying, ‘A TV channel whose owner lives abroad is unacceptable’, referencing Halk TV. He also said, ‘We filed a complaint, but RTÜK (Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council) isn’t doing its job.’ Four days later, this morning, police entered Halk TV.
The Turkish Journalists’ Union (TGS) condemned the intervention, declaring: “We do not accept this bullying. The press is free and cannot be censored.” The union also warned that “lawlessness”, used by the government to address political problems, had once again struck press freedom.
Reporters without borders state that 90% of national media outlets are already under government control in Turkey, and the public has relied on a very small number of independent media outlets critical of the country’s authoritarianism, of which Halk TV was one of the most watched. This latest development further deepens the growing censorship and oppression under Erdogan’s regime.
