4 Detained Over Publishing Cartoon of Prophet Muhammad

The incident occurred late on June 30 after Istanbul's Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered the detention of the editors at weekly Leman magazine on the grounds that it had published a cartoon that "publicly insulted religious values.”

The cartoon depicted Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses exchanging greetings in mid-air as missiles rain down from the sky.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on X that Leman magazine's cartoonist, identified only by his initials D.P., was taken into custody for questioning.

Alongside the cartoonist, three other staff members were also taken into custody as part of warrants issued for six individuals in total. The magazine’s editor-in-chief is also among those sought, but he is abroad.

Condemning the cartoon, Yerlikaya stated, “These shameless individuals will be held accountable before the law.”

A group of youths hurled stones at Leman's headquarters in the Beyoğlu district. Clashes erupted, with police firing rubber bullets and tear gas to break up the angry mob.

Local authorities in Beyoğlu imposed a one-day ban on all demonstrations and marches across the district on July 1.

The prosecutor’s office ordered the confiscation of the magazine’s issue featuring the cartoon, with efforts launched to block access to its social media accounts.

On the other hand, the magazine said that the figures depicted in the cartoons were not intended to represent the Prophet.

“The cartoonist aimed to highlight the righteousness of oppressed Muslim people by portraying a Muslim who was killed by Israel. There was no intention to insult religious values,” the statement read.

The cartoon sparked widespread outrage across the country, drawing strong reactions from political figures as well.

"Disrespect toward our beliefs is never acceptable," Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç wrote on X.

"No freedom grants the right to make the sacred values of a belief the subject of ugly humor. The caricature or any form of visual representation of our Prophet not only harms our religious values but also damages societal peace."

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also “strongly condemn the immoral and provocative attack against our Prophet carried out under the guise of humor.”

Communications Director Fahrettin Altun described the cartoon as “an unacceptable provocation,” stressing the importance of maintaining calm and not falling into the trap of such provocations.

Source: HDN