14.10.2026 10:13
Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against Halk TV's fugitive owner Cafer Mahiroğlu on charges of "bribery," "bid-rigging," and "money laundering of assets derived from crime," 11 of the 17 suspects, including Mahiroğlu, for whom detention orders had been issued, were taken into custody. The names of those taken into custody have been revealed. Here are the details...
The names detained in the investigation into Cafer Mahiroğlu, the fugitive owner of Halk TV in Istanbul, have been announced. While it was determined that 4 of the suspects are fugitives abroad and 1 is in prison, efforts to capture 1 fugitive suspect are ongoing.
POLICE ENTERED HALK TV, BROADCAST CUT OFF
Teams from the Financial Crimes Combat Branch Directorate of the Istanbul Provincial Police Department entered Halk TV’s main building in Istanbul in the early hours of this morning. While the area around the building was closed to traffic, employees were not allowed to enter. After the police entered the building, the channel’s broadcast was stopped.
İbrahim Paşalı, head of the trustee board appointed to the channel by the TMSF, came to the building together with the police.
It was stated that Halk TV Editor-in-Chief Suat Toktaş rejected the trustee board’s proposal to “work together.”
DETENTION ORDER ISSUED FOR 17 SUSPECTS
In a statement made by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was stated that MASAK data, secret witness statements, suspect statements and documents within the scope of the file were examined in the investigation. According to the statement, detention orders were issued for 17 suspects and 11 people were detained in the simultaneous operation.
Companies considered to be Mahiroğlu’s partners, managers or affiliated with him were seized by a decision of the Criminal Court of Peace, and the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) was appointed as trustee. The list of companies was not provided in the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office statement; it was reported that Halk TV was also among the seized companies.
HERE ARE THE NAMES OF THOSE DETAINED
The names of those detained in the operation are as follows;
- Harika Akkaya
- Hasan Özdemir
- İbrahim Özdemir
- Mustafa Özdemir
- Armağan Küçük
- Mediha Burumoğlu
- Halit Akın
- Ali Turan
- Murat Koçak
- Erkan Yağcı
- Süleyman Özen
SISTER-IN-LAW AND ACCOUNTANT ALSO DETAINED
Among those detained are Harika Akkaya, who is said to have handled Halk TV’s financial affairs and is known within the channel as the “accountant”; Mahiroğlu’s sister-in-law and management member Armağan Küçük; and Süleyman Özen, who appears as the channel’s owner in official records.
It was reported that Mediha Burumoğlu, Halit Akın, Ali Turan and Murat Koçak were former board members of the companies.
THOSE AT LARGE AND IN PRISON
It was determined that Cafer Mahiroğlu, Hakan Arıcan, Mehmet Necati Yağcı and Sevim Kul, for whom detention orders were issued, are fugitives abroad.
It was learned that Fatih Yadoğlu, said to be a contractor linked to BUSTECH, is a fugitive and efforts to capture him are ongoing.
It was reported that Doruk Bulut, a former Halk TV employee and CHP Silivri District Chairman, is in prison as part of another investigation.
ALLEGATION OF 14 MILLION 464 THOUSAND LIRAS IN BRIBES
In the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office statement, it was alleged that Mahiroğlu used his connections at İzmir Metropolitan Municipality to have BUSTECH Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Services Inc. established, and by transferring the company to people he determined, obtained unjust benefit from municipal tenders. It was alleged that unrecorded bribe payments amounting to 14 million 464 thousand liras were made in connection with the tender processes.
The statement also claimed that payments far above the tender price were made for the works undertaken by the company, and that the revenues obtained were transferred to Mahiroğlu or companies linked to him.
TRANSACTION VOLUME EXCEEDING 30 BILLION LIRAS
According to the MASAK review, the total transaction volume of the companies in which Mahiroğlu was a partner or manager was determined to be 30 billion 352 million 37 thousand 389 liras. It was determined that 1 billion 62 million 260 thousand liras entered Mahiroğlu’s personal accounts through 459 transactions, and 1 billion 118 million 591 thousand liras exited through 564 transactions.
It was also alleged that there were high-value international SWIFT transfers in the accounts of Mahiroğlu, his first-degree relatives and affiliated companies, and that there was a discrepancy between declared income and asset acquisitions.
ALSO WANTED IN THE ISTANBUL METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY INVESTIGATION
It is known that Mahiroğlu has a wanted record for the crime of “rigging a tender” in a separate investigation into Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and that he left the country on March 10, 2025.
MAHİROĞLU’S “POLICE AT HALK TV” POST
Mahiroğlu, who announced the operation from his social media account, targeting CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, used the statements: “The leader of nullity, Kılıçdaroğlu, and his team may be happy. Police are at Halk TV.”