14.10.2026 09:30
Following the appointment of a trustee to Halk TV and the suspension of its broadcast, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş, who made a statement, reacted harshly to the decision. Drawing attention to Turkey's place in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, Yavaş recalled Article 28 of the Constitution.
In Istanbul, in the morning hours, a trustee was appointed to Halk TV after searches by Financial Branch, KOM and TEM teams that entered the Halk TV building. After the screens were blacked out and the management was transferred to the trustee board, reactions from the political world continue to mount.
Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş reacted to the decision with a written statement made on his social media account.
"TURKEY RANKS 163RD IN PRESS FREEDOM"
Mansur Yavaş, who began his statement by recalling international data, drew attention to Turkey's press record. Yavaş said, "In the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, Turkey ranks 163rd among 180 countries. This picture reveals in all clarity the point that press freedom in our country has reached."
"ARTICLE 28 OF THE CONSTITUTION IS CLEAR"
Arguing that the intervention is a constitutional violation, Yavaş touched on the place of the press and criticism in democracy:
"However, Article 28 of our Constitution is extremely clear: 'The press is free, and cannot be censored.' Freedom of the press is the guarantee not only of journalists but also of the public's right to receive accurate news, and criticism is not a crime but an indispensable part of democracy. The appointment of a trustee to Halk TV, one of the most watched news channels, is a clear intervention against press freedom and the public's right to receive news!"