ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish police have detained three more employees of the satirical magazine LeMan, bringing the total number of individuals taken into custody over a controversial cartoon to four. The cartoon, which allegedly depicted the Prophet Muhammad, has ignited significant backlash from government officials and the public.
The publication of the cartoon led to widespread condemnation from government representatives, who claimed it insulted the Prophet Muhammad. This outrage culminated in a protest outside LeMan's Istanbul office, where demonstrators expressed their anger at the magazine's publication.
In response to the allegations, LeMan issued a statement on Monday, denying any wrongdoing. The magazine insisted that the cartoon was not meant to represent the Prophet Muhammad but rather to portray a Muslim man named Muhammad, aimed at underscoring the suffering experienced by Muslims.
According to the pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper, the cartoon depicted two figures, purportedly representing the Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses. These figures were illustrated with wings and halos, shaking hands in the sky, while below them a war scene unfolded with bombs raining down. The independent Birgun newspaper corroborated this interpretation, noting that many viewed the winged figures as those of Prophets Muhammad and Moses.
An investigation was initiated by authorities on Monday, alleging that the magazine had "publicly insulted religious values." The cartoonist, Dogan Pehlevan, was detained from his home as part of this investigation. Subsequently, on the same night, three additional individuals associated with the magazine—Editor-in-Chief Zafer Aknar, graphic designer Cebrail Okcu, and manager Ali Yavuz—were also taken into custody, according to reports by the state-run Anadolu Agency. Furthermore, detention warrants have been issued for two editors believed to be currently abroad.
Following the publication and subsequent backlash, a group of demonstrators, reportedly linked to an Islamic organization, clashed with police outside LeMan's headquarters in central Istanbul. Videos shared by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya depicted the arrests, illustrating the arrests of Pehlevan and Yavuz as they were forcibly removed from their homes, their hands cuffed behind their backs.
Yerlikaya took to social media platform X to assert that "these shameless people will be held accountable before the law." Meanwhile, LeMan has publicly apologized for any offense caused by the cartoon, but it also urged authorities to address what it described as a smear campaign against them and to uphold the principles of freedom of expression.
