Turkish police detained three cartoonists following public uproar over a satirical illustration published by the weekly magazine Leman. The cartoon, interpreted by many as showing Prophets Moses and Muhammad shaking hands in the sky while war raged below, sparked backlash from government officials and conservative religious groups.
The image, which appeared to promote religious unity in contrast to earthly conflict, was met with severe criticism. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya posted a video on social media platform X, showing police handcuffing and forcibly detaining cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan, dragging him up a stairwell.
“I once again curse those who try to sow discord by drawing caricatures of our Prophet Muhammad,” Yerlikaya wrote. “The individual who drew this vile image, D.P., has been apprehended and taken into custody. These shameless people will be held accountable before the law.”
Yerlikaya later shared footage of two additional arrests, showing men being forcefully removed from their homes and loaded into police vans — one of them barefoot.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç confirmed that six individuals are under investigation under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalizes inciting hatred and enmity. Arrest orders have been issued for all six.
In response, Leman magazine issued a public apology on X, asserting that the cartoon had been misunderstood. The editorial team clarified that the illustration was intended to highlight “the suffering of a Muslim man killed in Israeli attacks,” not to mock Islam or its prophet.
“The name Muhammad is one of the most common in the Muslim world as a tribute to the Prophet. The cartoon does not depict the Prophet and was never meant to insult religious values,” the statement read. Leman condemned what it called a “deliberately malicious” interpretation of the artwork and urged authorities to protect freedom of expression amid growing threats.
Later in the evening, protesters gathered outside Leman‘s Istanbul office, chanting slogans and kicking the building’s entrance doors, as seen in widely shared social media videos.
The incident comes amid ongoing concerns about press freedom in Turkey. According to the 2024 Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, Turkey ranks 158th out of 180 countries, reflecting the country’s increasingly restricted media landscape.
