Turkish authorities raided the headquarters of independent broadcaster Halk TV and appointed a trustee manager to oversee the news channel on Wednesday.
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into channel chairman Cafer Mahiroglu over allegations of bid rigging, bribery, and money laundering.
Press freedom groups and opposition parties strongly denounced the action and temporary broadcast suspension as a politically motivated crackdown by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government.