Turkish authorities have summoned two senior Halk TV executives for questioning, expanding an ongoing investigation into the pro-opposition news network after three of its journalists were detained over the broadcast of a phone call involving a court-appointed expert witness in cases against İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Halk TV Program Coordinator Kürşad Oğuz and Editor-in-Chief Suat Toktaş were brought in for questioning by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday. Their summons followed the detention of journalist Barış Pehlivan, anchor Seda Selek and news director Serhan Asker, all accused of illegally recording and airing a private conversation and attempting to influence judicial proceedings.
The widening probe has deepened concerns over press freedom in Turkey, where opposition-aligned media outlets frequently face legal pressure from the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The investigation began after Halk TV aired a phone call between journalist Barış Pehlivan and a court-appointed expert witness, identified only by the initials S.B., who had authored legal reports in cases involving municipalities run by members of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). The expert witness had been accused by İmamoğlu of bias and fabricating evidence.
This comes amid a broader crackdown on opposition figures in Turkey, with prosecutors targeting key figures in the CHP and its municipalities.
Led by İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek, these legal actions have resulted in the arrest of multiple CHP mayors and a criminal case against CHP leader Özgür Özel for allegedly “targeting judicial officials.”
Following the broadcast, prosecutors charged Pehlivan, Selek and Asker under Article 133/3 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalizes the unauthorized recording and publication of private conversations, and Article 277, which penalizes attempts to influence expert witnesses in legal cases. The offenses carry prison sentences of up to five years for privacy violations and up to four years for judicial interference.
Selek and Asker were taken into police custody and later referred to a criminal court which released them under judicial supervision.
As the investigation progressed, prosecutors determined that the Halk TV executives may have played a role in airing the conversation.
According to Pehlivan’s statement, he had called S.B. after İmamoğlu held a press conference in which he made accusations against the expert witness, intending to give the expert witness a chance to respond to the allegations against him. Pehlivan said he put the call on speakerphone, while Halk TV Program Coordinator Kürşad Oğuz was present in the room.
Pehlivan claimed that Oğuz recorded the conversation as part of standard journalistic practice, but that he was unaware it would be broadcast on Halk TV’s live news program.
After reviewing Pehlivan’s testimony, prosecutors determined that both Oğuz and Toktaş were involved in the decision to air the recording, leading to their summons.
On Wednesday police officers arrived at Halk TV’s headquarters in İstanbul and escorted Toktaş to the prosecutor’s office. Oğuz was brought in separately for questioning.
In a statement the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said that the investigation was ongoing and could lead to additional legal action.
“Based on the testimony of suspects Barış Pehlivan and Serhan Asker, it has been established that Halk TV’s editor-in-chief Suat Toktaş and program coordinator Kürşad Oğuz also participated in the alleged offenses. Therefore, a directive was issued to the police to bring these individuals in for questioning,” the statement read.
The prosecutor’s office added that further legal action would be decided after additional interrogations were completed.
According to Turkish media reports, Pehlivan, Toktaş and Oğuz were brought before the criminal court with the prosecutor’s office requesting their arrest.
The detentions and interrogations have sparked widespread criticism from opposition politicians, who see the case as part of a broader effort to silence dissenting voices.
İstanbul Mayor İmamoğlu, a frequent target of legal scrutiny, denounced the crackdown, calling it “a blatant abuse of judicial power.”
The Turkish government, however, defended the legal actions, claiming that journalists are not above the law and must abide by privacy and judicial regulations.
Opposition leaders have accused the government of weaponizing the judiciary to remove Erdoğan’s political rivals. CHP leader Özel described the arrests as “a continuation of the government’s war on opposition voices.”