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A Turkish court has appointed a state-run fund as trustee to take control of Tele1 television on Friday, hours after authorities detained the broadcaster's director as part of an espionage investigation targeting Türkiye's ousted Istanbul mayor and his associates.
The Istanbul Criminal Court of Peace ruled late Friday to place ABC Radio Television and Digital Broadcasting Inc., which owns Tele1, under the administration of the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund. The decision came the same day journalist Merdan Yanardag was detained and Türkiye's chief prosecutor announced espionage investigations into former Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and his campaign director Necati Ozkan.
The trustee team from the state fund arrived at Tele1's studios during the channel's evening news program. Anchor Murat Taylan abruptly ended the broadcast, telling viewers: "We are ending the main news bulletin earlier than scheduled. Take care of yourselves, do not surrender to lies."
The channel immediately switched to recorded programming following Taylan's sign-off.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office justified the trustee appointment by citing "Merdan Yanardag's words and actions repeatedly committing crimes related to the investigation." The statement claimed Yanardag "actually uses the channel" through his son Alp Yanardag, who appears as the company owner in official records.
The prosecutor's office said the investigation is based on digital materials seized from Huseyin Gun, a suspect arrested July 4 on espionage charges. Authorities allege Gun maintained contact with "numerous foreign intelligence officers" and had communications with Ozkan, Imamoglu's advisor, showing Ozkan acting in a "directive capacity."
Prosecutors accused Yanardag of having "numerous contacts and correspondence related to espionage activities" with Gun. The statement further claimed Yanardag "organized the media aspect of the election process while obtaining benefits from Huseyin Gun" and alleged he worked "in cooperation with foreign intelligence services to manipulate" the 2019 local elections.
Anti-terrorism police searched Yanardag's home and office Friday morning. Officers who arrived at Tele1's news center in Istanbul's Seyrantepe district searched Yanardag's office but did not interfere with live broadcasts, according to the station.
Yanardag's attorney, Bilgutay Hakki Durna, told Tele1 they had not yet seen any documents regarding the legal basis of the investigation. "Unfortunately, in our country, big claims are made about people, these are not proven with evidence, and people are deprived of their freedoms," Durna said.
Imamoglu, currently held in Marmara Prison in Silivri following his removal from office, responded through his social media accounts Friday morning. "Such slander, lies and conspiracy would not even occur to the devil," he said.
"We are facing a disgrace that cannot be described in words," Imamoglu added. "The operations carried out through the judiciary today have turned into a very great and historical threat for the Republic of Türkiye, the supreme Turkish Judiciary and our 86 million citizens."
Opposition Republican People's Party leader Ozgur Ozel dismissed the allegations as an attempt at perception management during a news conference at party headquarters.
"We have seen these movies many times before," Ozel said. "FETO used to open espionage cases when they couldn't accomplish anything. What's the easiest thing? Throw out an espionage allegation, create perception over it, then clean up afterwards. Who did you call a spy and prove it? They were all acquitted. It's shameful."
Ozel continued: "They tried saying 'thief,' it didn't work. They said 'corrupt,' it didn't work. 'He stole,' the people didn't believe. 'Terrorism,' the people rose up. There's a limit."
When asked whether the investigation could lead to a trustee appointment at Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Ozel answered: "No. They didn't dare economically or politically, they can't, they won't be able to. This nation won't let them do it. Why do we have photos of millions of people at Sarachane at night?"
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CHP Deputy Group Chair Murat Emir called the investigation "an operation to push democracy outside the regime. While the government declares itself 'unchangeable,' it codes the alternative as 'danger.'" He characterized the situation as "the final phase of authoritarianism."
CHP Deputy Chair Burhanettin Bulut said: "In this country, criticizing, winning elections has become a 'crime,' reporting news 'treason,' thinking 'espionage.'"
CHP official Gokan Zeybek said: "This government has completely lost touch with reality. Every criticism is not hostility. Every opposition is not a threat. The country cannot be governed with this understanding."
CHP Istanbul lawmaker Mahmut Tanal, speaking on Tele1 before the trustee appointment, called the investigation political. "Merdan Yanardag is an anti-imperialist man. He is a man who stands for a fully independent Türkiye. He is a journalist. Journalism does not constitute a crime. Espionage will not come out of Merdan Yanardag. This is inventing a crime."
A separate investigation file related to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality alleges that personal data of 4.7 million people was "leaked to foreign countries" through the "Istanbul Senin" application. Prosecutors also claim that ballot data of 11 million people was "processed and leaked outside the program" through an application called "IBB HANEM." Detention orders were issued for 13 people in connection with that investigation.
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