A dawn raid undertaken by Turkish riot police using tear gas and water cannons was broadcast live as police stormed a media company linked to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main rival just days before a national election.
Police were seen pushing through hundreds of Koza-Ipek employees, supporters and opposition legislators who gathered in a show of support, before breaking down iron gates and escorting newly appointed trustees of the company into the building.
Koza-Ipek owns opposition television stations Bugun TV and Kanal Turk, and is linked to a government critic, Fethullah Gulen, a US-based moderate Islamic cleric, who is reportedly leading a movement the Turkish government has accused of attempting to destabilise the state.
A late-night court order issued on Monday allowed for the business to be seized just days ahead of a national election.
The raid was broadcast live by Koza-Ipek’s channels Bugun TV and Kanal Turk.
Bugun TV editor Tarik Toros told audiences ahead of the raid: "Dear viewers, do not be surprised if you see police in our studio in the next few minutes,” before police were seen storming the building, France 24 reported.
Toros was seen arguing with the trustee manager who entered the station's control room and apparently put an end to the live broadcast.
Several arrests were made and one reporter was seen handcuffed and dragged from the building, while reports claimed the live feed was cut by police who tore the cables out of the TV station’s cameras.
Protesters chanted "free media cannot be silenced." Some demonstrators were seen being thrown to the ground before being detained, while some used umbrellas to shield their faces from police pepper spray.
The move was part of a broad crackdown on followers of Gulen that has been underway since December 2013 when prosecutors launched a corruption investigation of government ministers and people close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan alleges that the probes were part of an attempted coup.
Hundreds of police and judiciary officials suspected of ties to Gulen's movement have been dismissed. In May, Turkey's banking regulator seized a bank associated with the movement.
Additional reporting by AP
