Turkish police have raided the headquarters of a pro-opposition TV channel, halting its live broadcasts.

Halk TV said its employees were unable to enter the building in Istanbul on Wednesday morning, and that a new manager had been appointed to run the channel.

Reports in Turkish media said financial crimes police were searching the building and 17 arrest warrants had been issued in the raid linked to the channel’s owner.

Halk TV has been seen by many in the country as being close to the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). It often voices criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling AK party.

In May, a Turkish court removed the CHP leadership from running the party, in the legal move that the opposition said further cemented Erdoğan’s grip on power.

Meanwhile, Istanbul’s popular Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, widely seen as Erdoğan’s biggest political rival, has been in prison for over a year over corruption accusations. He denies all the charges.