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Al Jazeera
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Turkiye detains four over cartoon allegedly depicting Abrahamic prophets
Police in Turkiye have detained four people over a cartoon published by the satirical magazine LeMan, which critics say appeared to depict Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses shaking hands in the sky as missiles fell below in a war-like scene – a claim the magazine denies. The cartoon, published last week, triggered a backlash from government officials and religious groups in Turkiye. On Tuesday, the Istanbul chief public prosecutor's office announced a formal investigation under charges of 'openly insulting religious values'. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya posted a video on X showing the arrest of cartoonist Dogan Pehlevan on Monday. 'I strongly condemn the shameless caricaturing of our Prophet,' Yerlikaya said. 'This is not press freedom. This is not freedom of expression. These provocative acts, which insult our sacred values and deeply hurt Muslim consciences, will not go unpunished.' He added that a total of six detention orders had been issued. Two people who were overseas have yet to be arrested. Yerlikaya also said the magazine's graphic designer and two other senior staffers were detained, along with the cartoonist. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc confirmed the investigation is proceeding under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalises 'incitement to hatred and enmity'. In a statement posted on X, LeMan apologised to readers who were offended but insisted the cartoon had been misinterpreted. The magazine said Pehlevan aimed to highlight 'the suffering of a Muslim man killed in Israeli attacks' and denied any attempt to mock Islam. 'The name Muhammad is among the most common in the Muslim world in honour of the Prophet. The cartoon does not portray him, nor was it intended to disrespect religious beliefs,' the magazine said, accusing critics of wilfully distorting its message. LeMan urged authorities to investigate what it described as a targeted smear campaign and called for stronger protection of press freedom. Later in the evening, videos surfaced online of crowds of protesters marching to LeMan's office in Istanbul, kicking the building's doors and chanting slogans. The case has reignited debates in Turkiye over the boundaries of free expression and religious sensitivity.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Journalists at satirical magazine in Turkey arrested over Prophet Muhammad cartoon
Turkish satirical magazine have been arrested after allegedly publishing a cartoon that authorities claim depicts the Prophet Muhammad, a figure whose portrayal is forbidden in Islam. The cartoon, published in the LeMan weekly magazine, depicts a Muslim and a Jewish figure – both illustrated with wings and halos – shaking hands as bombs rain down below them. Four days after its release, the image went viral on social media, sparking outrage. Hundreds of protesters marched down Istanbul's main tourist avenue, chanting 'Allahu Akbar'. Turkish officials swiftly denounced the magazine after Istanbul's chief prosecutor announced the arrest of the magazine editors and the cartoonist on the grounds that it had published a cartoon that 'publicly insulted religious values'. Turkey 's interior minister Ali Yerlikaya called the cartoon a provocation and said those 'who dare to do this will be held accountable before the law'. Mr Yerlikaya asserted that the cartoon did not fall under the protections of freedom of expression or speech. According to Mr Yerlikaya, Turkish police arrested the cartoonist as well as LeMan's graphic designer. Media reports also stated that arrest warrants had been issued for LeMan's editor-in-chief and its managing editor, both of whom were named in the investigation. Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish presidency's communications chief, condemned it as a 'vile attack on our beliefs and values'. Meanwhile, the justice ministry announced a formal investigation under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which covers the offence of 'publicly insulting religious values'. Yilmaz Tunc, the justice minister, said: 'No freedom grants the right to make the sacred values of a belief a subject of humour in an ugly way.' LeMan, the weekly Turkish political satire magazine, released a statement after the backlash. 'This cartoon is not a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). In the work, the name Mohammed is fictionalised as belonging to a Muslim person killed in Israel's bombardments. There are more than 200 million people named Mohammed in the Islamic world. The work does not refer to the Prophet Mohammed in any way,' the magazine's editor-in-chief, Tuncay Akgun, said. 'By highlighting a murdered Muslim, the aim was to highlight the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people, with no intention whatsoever of belittling religious values. We reject the stigma imposed on us, as there is no depiction of our Prophet,' LeMan said. 'To interpret the cartoon in such a way requires extreme malice,' the magazine added, but also offered an apology to any readers who may have been offended. Istanbul governor Davut Gul confirmed that all four individuals sought in connection with the cartoon are now in police custody. While he did not specify whether any protesters had been detained, Mr Gul noted in a statement that 'it has been determined that some individuals mingling among the protesters have engaged in provocative actions'. He urged protestors to disperse peacefully to protect public safety and prevent further unrest. However, several groups have since called for further demonstrations against the magazine on Tuesday. Mr Gul earlier also lashed out at 'this mentality that seeks to provoke society by attacking our sacred values'. 'We will not remain silent in the face of any vile act targeting our nation's faith,' he said. As protests intensified, Turkey's interior ministry shared footage of the cartoonist being detained at home, barefoot and in handcuffs, with captions warning they couldn't evade justice. Outside LeMan 's offices in central Istanbul, demonstrators kicked down doors and chanted threats, with one declaring, 'For our Prophet, we would give our lives and take lives; no one can insult our Prophet'. On social media, the incident drew comparisons to the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, when two gunmen stormed the offices of the French satirical magazine and killed 12 people. The attackers sought to avenge the Prophet Mohammad nearly a decade after the atheist and frequently provocative weekly published cartoons mocking the Prophet.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Turkish police arrest four cartoonists after image authorities say depicts the Prophet Mohammed sparks protests
Turkish police arrested at least four cartoonists on Monday accused of drawing and distributing a cartoon that authorities and protesters say is a depiction of the Prophet Mohammed and Moses. The cartoon, published in a political satire magazine, shows what appears to be a Muslim and a Jewish man, both with wings and halos, shaking hands and greeting each other as bombs fall below. The cartoon went viral on social media four days after it was published. Hundreds of people took to Istanbul's main tourist street, chanting 'Allah is Great' and calling for sharia law in protest. Turkish authorities quickly condemned the magazine. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya called the cartoon a provocation and said those 'who dare to do this will be held accountable before the law.' Yerlikaya said the cartoon was not protected by freedom of expression or freedom of speech. Fahrettin Altun, the head communications for the Turkish Presidency, called it a 'vile attack on our beliefs and values.' The country's Justice Ministry announced an investigation had been launched into the incident under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code for the crime of 'publicly insulting religious values.' LeMan, the weekly political satire magazine known for irreverent comics similar to French Charlie Hebdo, released a statement saying their cartoon was not depicting the Islamic prophet. 'This cartoon is not a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). In the work, the name Mohammed is fictionalized as belonging to a Muslim person killed in Israel's bombardments. There are more than 200 million people named Mohammed in the Islamic world. The work does not refer to the Prophet Mohammed in any way,' the magazine said. 'By highlighting a murdered Muslim, the aim was to highlight the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people, with no intention whatsoever of belittling religious values. We reject the stigma imposed on us, as there is no depiction of our Prophet,' LeMan said. 'To interpret the cartoon in such a way requires extreme malice,' the magazine added, but also offered an apology to any readers who may have been offended. As protesters took to the streets, the Interior Ministry released videos of cartoonists being detained in their homes, barefoot and handcuffed by police with captions such as 'You will not escape from our security forces or from justice.' Protesters were seen kicking the doors of the magazine offices in central Istanbul. In one video a demonstrator shouts, 'For our Prophet, we would give our lives and take lives; no one can insult our Prophet.' The crowd also performed a nighttime prayer. Within hours, Istanbul's governor Davut Gul announced that all four people who were wanted for the cartoon were in police custody. Gul did not say if any demonstrators were detained but said in a statement, 'It has been determined that some individuals mingling among the protesters have engaged in provocative actions. It is of great importance that the protesting groups disperse to prevent harm to our citizens and to maintain public order.' Some groups have called for further protests against the magazine on Tuesday. This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN
a day ago
- Politics
- CNN
Turkish police arrest four cartoonists after image authorities say depicts the Prophet Mohammed sparks protests
Turkish police arrested at least four cartoonists on Monday accused of drawing and distributing a cartoon that authorities and protesters say is a depiction of the Prophet Mohammed and Moses. The cartoon, published in a political satire magazine, shows what appears to be a Muslim and a Jewish man, both with wings and halos, shaking hands and greeting each other as bombs fall below. The cartoon went viral on social media four days after it was published. Hundreds of people took to Istanbul's main tourist street, chanting 'Allah is Great' and calling for sharia law in protest. Turkish authorities quickly condemned the magazine. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya called the cartoon a provocation and said those 'who dare to do this will be held accountable before the law.' Yerlikaya said the cartoon was not protected by freedom of expression or freedom of speech. Fahrettin Altun, the head communications for the Turkish Presidency, called it a 'vile attack on our beliefs and values.' The country's Justice Ministry announced an investigation had been launched into the incident under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code for the crime of 'publicly insulting religious values.' LeMan, the weekly political satire magazine known for irreverent comics similar to French Charlie Hebdo, released a statement saying their cartoon was not depicting the Islamic prophet. 'This cartoon is not a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). In the work, the name Mohammed is fictionalized as belonging to a Muslim person killed in Israel's bombardments. There are more than 200 million people named Mohammed in the Islamic world. The work does not refer to the Prophet Mohammed in any way,' the magazine said. 'By highlighting a murdered Muslim, the aim was to highlight the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people, with no intention whatsoever of belittling religious values. We reject the stigma imposed on us, as there is no depiction of our Prophet,' LeMan said. 'To interpret the cartoon in such a way requires extreme malice,' the magazine added, but also offered an apology to any readers who may have been offended. As protesters took to the streets, the Interior Ministry released videos of cartoonists being detained in their homes, barefoot and handcuffed by police with captions such as 'You will not escape from our security forces or from justice.' Protesters were seen kicking the doors of the magazine offices in central Istanbul. In one video a demonstrator shouts, 'For our Prophet, we would give our lives and take lives; no one can insult our Prophet.' The crowd also performed a nighttime prayer. Within hours, Istanbul's governor Davut Gul announced that all four people who were wanted for the cartoon were in police custody. Gul did not say if any demonstrators were detained but said in a statement, 'It has been determined that some individuals mingling among the protesters have engaged in provocative actions. It is of great importance that the protesting groups disperse to prevent harm to our citizens and to maintain public order.' Some groups have called for further protests against the magazine on Tuesday. This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN
a day ago
- Politics
- CNN
Turkish police arrest four cartoonists after image authorities say depicts the Prophet Mohammed sparks protests
Turkish police arrested at least four cartoonists on Monday accused of drawing and distributing a cartoon that authorities and protesters say is a depiction of the Prophet Mohammed and Moses. The cartoon, published in a political satire magazine, shows what appears to be a Muslim and a Jewish man, both with wings and halos, shaking hands and greeting each other as bombs fall below. The cartoon went viral on social media four days after it was published. Hundreds of people took to Istanbul's main tourist street, chanting 'Allah is Great' and calling for sharia law in protest. Turkish authorities quickly condemned the magazine. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya called the cartoon a provocation and said those 'who dare to do this will be held accountable before the law.' Yerlikaya said the cartoon was not protected by freedom of expression or freedom of speech. Fahrettin Altun, the head communications for the Turkish Presidency, called it a 'vile attack on our beliefs and values.' The country's Justice Ministry announced an investigation had been launched into the incident under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code for the crime of 'publicly insulting religious values.' LeMan, the weekly political satire magazine known for irreverent comics similar to French Charlie Hebdo, released a statement saying their cartoon was not depicting the Islamic prophet. 'This cartoon is not a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). In the work, the name Mohammed is fictionalized as belonging to a Muslim person killed in Israel's bombardments. There are more than 200 million people named Mohammed in the Islamic world. The work does not refer to the Prophet Mohammed in any way,' the magazine said. 'By highlighting a murdered Muslim, the aim was to highlight the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people, with no intention whatsoever of belittling religious values. We reject the stigma imposed on us, as there is no depiction of our Prophet,' LeMan said. 'To interpret the cartoon in such a way requires extreme malice,' the magazine added, but also offered an apology to any readers who may have been offended. As protesters took to the streets, the Interior Ministry released videos of cartoonists being detained in their homes, barefoot and handcuffed by police with captions such as 'You will not escape from our security forces or from justice.' Protesters were seen kicking the doors of the magazine offices in central Istanbul. In one video a demonstrator shouts, 'For our Prophet, we would give our lives and take lives; no one can insult our Prophet.' The crowd also performed a nighttime prayer. Within hours, Istanbul's governor Davut Gul announced that all four people who were wanted for the cartoon were in police custody. Gul did not say if any demonstrators were detained but said in a statement, 'It has been determined that some individuals mingling among the protesters have engaged in provocative actions. It is of great importance that the protesting groups disperse to prevent harm to our citizens and to maintain public order.' Some groups have called for further protests against the magazine on Tuesday. This is a developing story and will be updated.
