Anti-Israel: Protest in Turkey As Police Detain Cartoonist over Prophet Muhammad Caricature

• A cartoon, depicting what appeared to be a Prophet Muhammad and Moses, both with wings and halos, greeting each other as bombs fall below, has sparked concerns in Turkey
• The cartoonist has been arrested and detained by the Turkish police amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran
• Protest broke out in Istanbul after police dispersed angry crowds protesting the cartoon published by the satirical magazine LeMan, which was accused of insulting religious values

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

On Monday, June 30, Turkish police detained a cartoonist over a caricature depicting the Prophet Muhammad, the action has sparked an angry protest outside Istanbul.

Turkey detains cartoonists over satirical drawing

The cartoon, published in a political satire magazine, showed what appears to be a Muslim and a Jewish man, both with wings and halos, shaking hands and greeting each other as bombs fall below.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on X that LeMan magazine’s cartoonist was taken into custody for questioning.

The minister also shared a video of the cartoonist, identified only by his initials DP, being taken into custody on a stairwell, with his hands cuffed behind his back.

Protests rocks Turkey over satirical cartoon

As reported by The Washington Post and CNN, the cartoon went viral on social media four days after it was published.

Hundreds of people took to Istanbul’s main tourist street, chanting “Allah is Great” and calling for sharia law in protest. Turkish authorities quickly condemned the magazine.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya called the cartoon a provocation and said those “who dare to do this will be held accountable before the law.”

Speaking further, Yerlikaya announced that an investigation had been launched into the incident under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code for the crime of “publicly insulting religious values.”

LeMan magazine defends image

In a swift reaction to the development, LeMan, the weekly political satire magazine known for irreverent comics similar to French Charlie Hebdo, released a statement.

LeMan’s editor-in-chief, Tuncay Akgun, denied the accusations, saying the cartoon had been deliberately misinterpreted to incite outrage.

“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 said.

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Sanusi criticised for allegedly disrespecting Prophet Muhammad

Legit.ng earlier reported that the reinstated Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, was heavily criticised after a photo surfaced, showing him walking on a customised rug bearing his adopted name.

The rug was inscribed with ‘Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II’, sparking controversy and accusations of disrespecting the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.

Critics from within the Islamic community, including clerics and scholars, have raised concerns about the Emir’s actions.

Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng