Halk TV investigation: 4 arrested, 5 including Mahiroğlu abroad

In the investigation into Halk TV's Board Chairman Cafer Mahiroğlu, whose broadcast was halted after a court-appointed administrator was assigned on the morning of October 14, four of the twelve people taken into custody have been arrested.

Within the scope of the investigation conducted by Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, detention decisions were issued for 17 people. While 12 of them were taken into custody, 5 people including Mahiroğlu are abroad, and 1 person is in prison.

The Peace Criminal Court ordered the arrest of Harika Akkaya, Murat Koçak, Süleyman Özen, and Mehmet Necati Yağcı, while 8 people were released under judicial control.

The prosecutor's office alleges that Mahiroğlu obtained unlawful benefit through his connections to Izmir Metropolitan Municipality for BUSTECH Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Services Inc. in municipal tenders. The file contains allegations of 14 million 464 thousand lira in bribery; charges include bribery, bid-rigging, and money laundering.

Mahiroğlu rejected all allegations based on MASAK reports in a video posted on social media.

The court-appointed administrator application and the subsequent mass arrests are considered one of the most comprehensive operations against opposition media outlets since 2016.