At least four cartoonists in Turkey were detained on Monday after being accused of creating and circulating a cartoon that both authorities and demonstrators claim depicts the Prophet Mohammed and Musa.
The illustration, featured in a recent issue of a political satire magazine, portrays a Muslim and a Jewish figure, each drawn with wings and halos, greeting each other mid-air as explosions unfold beneath them.
Four days after its publication, the cartoon gained widespread attention on social media, sparking outrage and mobilizing crowds.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered along Istanbul’s prominent tourist boulevard, chanting “Allah is Great” and demanding the imposition of sharia law. Government officials swiftly denounced the image.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya described the cartoon as a deliberate provocation, stating, “Those who dare to do this will be held accountable before the law.” He asserted that the content in question does not fall under the protections of free expression.
Echoing this stance, Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish Presidency’s head of communications, condemned the image as “a vile attack on our beliefs and values.”
In response, the Justice Ministry launched a formal investigation under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalizes public insults against religious values.
LeMan, the weekly satire publication behind the cartoon and known for its bold, Charlie Hebdo-style illustrations, issued a clarification, denying that the image was intended to represent the Prophet Mohammed.
“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 stated.
“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 added. “To interpret the cartoon in such a way requires extreme malice.” Despite this, the magazine offered an apology to anyone who felt offended.
Meanwhile, scenes of police detaining the cartoonists at home, some barefoot and in handcuffs, were shared by the Interior Ministry on social media, accompanied by captions such as “You will not escape from our security forces or from justice.”
The outrage escalated further as demonstrators vandalized the magazine’s central Istanbul office, with footage showing individuals kicking in doors. One protester shouted, “For our Prophet, we would give our lives and take lives; no one can insult our Prophet.” Others gathered to perform a nighttime prayer near the site.
Later, Istanbul Governor Davut Gul confirmed that all individuals sought in connection with the cartoon had been apprehended.
While he did not indicate whether any protesters had been arrested, Gul emphasized, “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.”
Further demonstrations against the magazine are reportedly being planned for Tuesday.
