Turkish prosecutors are seeking up to 14 years in prison for journalists and executives from the pro-opposition Halk TV station for airing an interview with a court-appointed expert witness accused of bias against the main opposition party, Turkish Minute reported on Monday.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into Halk TV last month after it aired a phone conversation between journalist Barış Pehlivan and expert witness Satılmış Büyükcanayakın.
İmamoğlu last month accused Büyükcanayakın of bias, claiming the government “cherry-picked” him to draft reports against the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and its mayors, including him, in İstanbul to sway court proceedings.
Pehlivan contacted Büyükcanayakın for a response, and their conversation was later aired on Halk TV. The broadcast prompted a criminal investigation, leading to the detention of Pehlivan, anchor Seda Selek, news director Serhan Asker, editor-in-chief Suat Toktaş and program coordinator Kürşad Oğuz.
Toktaş was later arrested by a criminal court, while the others were released under judicial supervision.
The indictment seeks prison sentences of between six and 14 years for Pehlivan and Oğuz on charges of “recording secret conversations,” “attempting to influence judicial officials” and “publishing recorded conversations through the press.”
Prosecutors are also seeking sentences of between four and nine years for Toktaş, Selek and Asker on charges of “publishing recorded conversations through the press” and “attempting to influence judicial officials.”
The case comes amid mounting legal pressure on İmamoğlu, widely seen as a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2028 presidential election. The İstanbul mayor faces multiple court cases, including an appeal against a two-year, seven-month sentence that could bar him from office if upheld.
Opposition leaders have accused the government of using the judiciary to silence Erdoğan’s political rivals, with CHP leader Özgür Özel calling the Halk TV investigation “a continuation of the government’s war on opposition voices.”
Turkey’s media watchdog, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), also imposed a fine on Halk TV for airing Pehlivan’s interview. The network denounced the fine, calling it “an effort to suppress independent journalism.”
The RTÜK penalty is part of a broader crackdown on opposition media, with other networks — including NOW TV, TELE1 and Sözcü TV — also facing fines for their coverage of politically sensitive issues.
The developments have renewed concerns over press freedom in Turkey, which has deteriorated in recent years. Reporters Without Borders ranks Turkey 158th out of 180 countries in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, citing extensive government control over the media and the frequent prosecution of journalists.
