Turkey Halk TV Raid: 11 Arrested as Chairman Accused of Fraud and Bribery

Turkish authorities have arrested 11 people and accused the chairman of opposition network Halk TV of financial crimes, following police raids on its offices.

Following the police raid on the offices of Turkish opposition broadcaster Halk TV, authorities in Turkey have arrested 11 people and issued arrest warrants for 17 suspects, Dutch public broadcaster NOS and The Jerusalem Post reported.

According to the reports, Turkish prosecutors accuse the network's chairman, Cafer Mahiroglu, who resides in the United Kingdom, of bribery, money laundering, and fraud. Mahiroglu denied the allegations, characterizing the operation as politically motivated and calling it a "black day for Turkey." Concurrently, the channel's YouTube stream, which boasts over 2.5 million subscribers, was taken offline.

The Jerusalem Post noted that the crackdown comes days after Kemal Kilicdaroglu, former chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party, publicly criticized the broadcaster's coverage.