A company run by the son-in-law of Turkey's prime minister won the auction yesterday for one of the country's largest media groups, amid accusations by the opposition that the government was trying to create a partisan media outlet.

Calik Holding bid $1.1bn for the company that owns Sabah, a leading daily newspaper, and ATV, a widely watched television channel. Calik was the only potential buyer to submit an offer after several other possible bidders, including consortia that involved RTL, News Corp, and the private equity group Carlyle, failed to bid.