Turkish authorities on Oct. 14 appointed the state-run Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) as trustee of the opposition-leaning broadcaster Halk TV and other companies linked to its owner, Cafer Mahiroğlu, as part of an investigation into alleged bribery, bid rigging and money laundering.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said a criminal judgeship of peace had ordered the seizure of the companies. Police from the Istanbul financial crimes unit searched the channel’s offices in the early morning, and detention warrants were issued for 17 suspects, 11 of whom were taken into custody in simultaneous raids.
According to the prosecutor’s statement, Mahiroğlu and three other suspects are abroad, one suspect is already in prison on a separate charge and another is being sought. Prosecutors say Mahiroğlu left Türkiye on March 10, 2025.
What prosecutors allege
The investigation centres on a vehicle maintenance company, Bustech, which prosecutors say Mahiroğlu helped set up through his connections at the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality before handing its management to people of his choosing. The company allegedly won municipal work at prices well above tender values.
Prosecutors claim that about 14.46 million lira in unrecorded bribes were paid in connection with tenders and that companies linked to Mahiroğlu had a combined transaction volume of roughly 30.35 billion lira. They also say his declared income did not match his asset purchases. The office said its evidence includes data from MASAK, Türkiye’s financial intelligence unit, as well as secret witness and suspect statements.
Mahiroğlu was already the subject of an arrest warrant issued in June 2025 in a separate investigation concerning tenders at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB). None of the allegations has been tested in court.
Broadcast interrupted, reactions
NTV reported that Halk TV’s live broadcast was halted during the operation and replaced with a rerun of a recorded programme. TMSF is a public body that normally manages failed banks but is regularly appointed by courts to run companies seized in criminal investigations.
In a first statement, Mahiroğlu criticised Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), NTV reported. The CHP said its stance on the rule of law did not depend on who was involved, and that it would oppose any step harming the public’s right to information or the rights of media workers.
Halk TV is one of the best-known television channels critical of the government. The case adds to a series of investigations in recent years into opposition-run municipalities and businesspeople linked to them.
Sources
- Son dakika… Halk TV’ye kayyum atandı! Binada arama: 17 gözaltı kararı (Hürriyet)
- Halk TV’ye kayyum atandı (NTV)
Photo: CeeGee / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
