Police used water cannon and tear gas early Oct. 28 to enter Koza İpek Holding’s media group headquarters in Istanbul to implement a court order to seize control of the holding. Police and newly-appointed trustees later entered the main control room, causing disruption in the broadcast. The broadcast briefly went off air, Hurriyet Daily informs.

Live television footage showed police dispersing the crowd that gathered in front of the building to show support by using tear gas and forcefully entering the media group’s headquarters, which is home to Bugün TV and Kanaltürk television stations and Bugün and Millet newspapers.

Police officers were also seen intervening with reporters covering the incident live.

Meanwhile, Tarık Toros, editor-in-chief of Bugün TV, said the company had not been informed about the intervention, adding that he was still in his post as editor-in-chief.

Koza İpek Holding Chairman Akın İpek said no trustee had the right to disrupt the media group’s broadcasts.

Speaking in a phone call that Kanaltürk broadcast live from its main control room, İpek said it was unlawful to seize the company.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul deputy Barış Yarkardaş said that, for the first time, he had to enter a place for which he was not authorized to do so – the main control room.

“Police tried to implement an illegal notice this morning. We said to them that those who took these unlawful decisions would be ashamed and judged for their unlawful actions,” adding Turkey had become a police state as police were asking for journalists’ IDs.

According to reports, the police blocked the entrance of the building, preventing the holding’s employees from entering.

An Ankara court decided late Oct. 26 to appoint a trustee panel to Koza İpek, upon the request of the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, on accusations of “being involved in the activities of Fethullahist Terror Organization,” a term that has appeared in some recent indictments to describe the movement of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gülen.