Turkey Detains Four Over Cartoon Allegedly Insulting Prophets

Turkish authorities have detained four staff members of the satirical magazine Leman, including cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan, over a controversial cartoon that many interpreted as depicting Prophets Muhammad and Moses shaking hands amid a war scene. The government, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, condemned the cartoon as a provocative hate crime insulting religious values, with arrests made under charges of incitement to hatred according to Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc emphasized that such acts deeply hurt Muslim consciences and will not be tolerated, while additional security measures were deployed to prevent unrest. The cartoon sparked protests outside the magazine’s Istanbul office, with demonstrators chanting and causing property damage, prompting a temporary ban on public gatherings in the area. Leman magazine apologized to those offended but insisted the cartoon was meant to highlight suffering caused by Israeli attacks and denied any disrespect toward Islam or the Prophet Muhammad, accusing critics of misinterpreting their message and calling for press freedom protections. The incident has drawn criticism from legal groups who view the arrests as government suppression of dissent.