Freedom of expression under fire: Turkish cartoonists arrested over prophet imagery

Turkish authorities detained three cartoonists over a satirical drawing published by weekly magazine Leman that seemed to depict Prophets Moses and Muhammad shaking hands in the sky, while missiles flew below in a scene resembling war.

The cartoon, widely seen as a commentary on religious harmony in contrast to conflict on Earth, drew strong condemnation from government officials and religious conservatives.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya shared a video on X showing police officers detaining cartoonist Dogan Pehlevan and dragging him up the stairs of a building with his hands cuffed behind his back.

“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 posted two other videos, showing two other men being laid on the ground and forcibly taken from their homes, as policemen dragged them into vans – one of them walking barefoot.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said an investigation had been launched under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalises incitement to hatred and enmity, and that detention orders had been issued for six people in total.

In its statement on X, the Leman magazine apologised to readers who felt offended and said the cartoon had been misunderstood.

It said Pehlevan had sought to highlight “the suffering of a Muslim man killed in Israeli attacks”, and that there was no intent to insult Islam or its prophet.

“The name Muhammad is among the most widely used in the world by Muslims honoring the Prophet. The cartoon does not depict the Prophet and was not drawn to mock religious values,” the magazine said, calling some interpretations “deliberately malicious.”

Leman also urged judicial authorities to act against what it called a smear campaign, and asked security forces to protect freedom of expression.

Earlier in the evening, video footage on social media showed a group of protesters marching to Leman’s office building in central Istanbul, chanting slogans and kicking its entrance doors.

Turkey’s ranking for freedom of expression is consistently low, reflecting significant restrictions on media and public discourse. Reporters Without Borders ranks Turkey 158th out of 180 countries in its 2024 Press Freedom Index.