Turkish police raided the Istanbul headquarters of Halk TV early Wednesday, halting live broadcasts and prompting the appointment of a government trustee to manage the pro-opposition news channel.

The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office said its financial crimes unit investigated Halk TV Chairman Cafer Mahiroğlu over allegations of bribery, tender-rigging, and money laundering. Prosecutors issued detention warrants for 17 people, including Mahiroğlu, who lives abroad and remains at large. Eleven individuals were taken into custody, and authorities seized companies linked to Mahiroğlu while placing the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund in charge as trustee.

Live programming stopped around 6:30 a.m. local time, replaced by pre-recorded content. Hundreds of police officers surrounded the building and initially barred staff from entering, though some journalists later gained access. The channel's YouTube broadcasts also went offline.

Mahiroğlu rejected the allegations as baseless in a video message and accused authorities of weaponizing the judiciary. He said seven of his relatives, including a 70-year-old brother, were among those detained.

Halk TV has been one of Turkey's most-watched news outlets critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government and aligned with the main opposition Republican People's Party. The raid follows recent actions against other independent media, including the closure of the T24 news website two weeks earlier.

Opposition figures and press freedom groups condemned the move as an attack on media pluralism. The channel's owner described the day as dark for Turkey and vowed to reclaim control.

The operation occurred hours before defense arguments in a major corruption trial involving jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Turkish authorities have taken control of several other broadcasters in recent years through similar trustee appointments.