Erdogan condemns cartoon allegedly depicting prophets as 'provocation'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 Jul 2025 19:16

The Turkish president slams a LeMan cartoon allegedly depicting prophets as offensive, prompting controversy over religious sensitivity and press freedom in Turkey.

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Protesters clash with Turkish anti-riot police officers as they gather to protest LeMan cartoon magazine in Istanbul, on June 30, 2025 (AFP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday denounced a cartoon published by the satirical magazine LeMan as a “vile provocation”, saying it insulted Islamic and Jewish prophets.

He vowed that authorities would pursue legal action and hold those responsible accountable under Turkish law.

Erdogan decries depiction of prophets

"We will not allow anyone to speak against our sacred values, no matter what," Erdogan declared in televised remarks.

“Those who show disrespect to our Prophet and other prophets will be held accountable before the law,” he stressed.

The Turkish leader confirmed that authorities have confiscated all available copies of the magazine issue in question and initiated legal proceedings against the publication.

The cartoon, which appeared in the aftermath of the 12-day Israeli war on Iran, depicts two figures interpreted by many as the Prophet Mohammed and Prophet Moses, shaking hands in the sky over a bombed city.

In the image, one character says, "Salam aleikum, I'm Mohammed," while the other replies, "Aleikum salam, I'm Musa." Religious conservatives have condemned the cartoon, viewing it as blasphemous.

Legal action, arrests spark debate over press freedom

Erdogan’s remarks came a day after four cartoonists from LeMan were detained. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya posted videos of the arrests on social media, including one showing cartoonist Dogan Pehlevan being handcuffed and dragged by police.

Leman dergisinin dinsiz karikatüristi gözaltında!@istanbul_EGM Lütfen o merdivenlere takılıp düşmesini sağlar mısınız!

Yetmez! #lemandergisikapatılsın pic.twitter.com/hOO3NdlWBl
— Davut Daşkıran (@DavutDaskiran) June 30, 2025

Yerlikaya stated, “These shameless people will be held accountable before the law.”

The detentions have drawn criticism from civil society groups, who argue that the crackdown violates freedom of thought and expression.

Turkey continues to rank low on global press freedom indices, placed 158th out of 180 countries by Reporters Without Borders in 2024.

Magazine defends intent, denies blasphemy allegation

In response to the backlash, LeMan apologized to readers who felt offended but maintained that the cartoon was misinterpreted.

Editor-in-chief Tuncay Akgun, speaking to AFP from Paris, explained that the image was not intended to represent the Prophet Mohammed, adding, “We would never take such a risk.”

“In this work, the name of a Muslim who was killed in the bombardments of Israel is fictionalized as Mohammed. More than 200 million people in the Islamic world are named Mohammed,” he explained.

The magazine clarified in a statement on X that the cartoon was meant to draw attention to civilian suffering and had “nothing to do with Prophet Mohammed.”

Public protests

Despite a ban on public gatherings and heavy police presence, more than 200 people protested outside LeMan’s offices in central Istanbul on Tuesday.

Turkish Muslim youth raised the Shahadah flag last night in Istanbul following the publication of cartoon mocking Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses by Leman magazine. #Turkey pic.twitter.com/Uohwm4XROF
— DOAM (@doamuslims) July 1, 2025

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) echoed Erdogan’s stance, with spokesperson Omer Celik labeling the cartoon “a hate crime” and “an act of hostility directly targeting Islam, Prophet Moses, and our Prophet.”

Erdogan and the AKP have frequently spoken out against what they view as Islamophobic acts both within Turkey and abroad. Depictions of the Prophet Mohammed are widely regarded as blasphemous in Islamic tradition.