A coalition of European press freedom organizations on Monday condemned Turkey’s arrest of four journalists from the LeMan satirical magazine, calling it a serious violation of media freedom after a cartoon that allegedly depicted the Prophet Muhammad attracted a backlash from religious and political leaders.
“This campaign of judicial harassment demonstrates how Turkish authorities continue to weaponize criminal and administrative law to silence independent media,” the groups said in a joint statement. “We urge authorities to drop all charges against LeMan staff, end the political and legal harassment of the magazine, and ensure the safety of its journalists.”
The statement was signed by the International Press Institute (IPI), ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Italy-based Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).
The controversy stems from a cartoon in LeMan’s June 26 issue depicting two men named Muhammad and Moses greeting each other above a bombed city. The magazine said the illustration was a political critique of Israel’s bombing of Gaza, not a depiction of religious figures.
Over the next three days following the publication of the cartoon, online outrage spread, with over 345,000 social media posts on X using the hashtag #LemanDergisiKapatılsın (“Shut down LeMan magazine”).
Senior political and religious figures, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the interior and justice ministers as well as İstanbul Governor Davut Gül publicly denounced the magazine.
On June 30 hundreds of angry protesters gathered outside LeMan’s İstanbul headquarters, attacking the building and prompting police intervention with rubber bullets and tear gas. Protesters chanted, “We will do anything for our Prophet. We will die, we will kill!”
A criminal investigation was launched under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code for incitement to hatred and enmity and openly insulting religious values, with four staff members — Zafer Aknar (managing editor), Cebrail Okçu (graphic designer), Doğan Pehlevan (cartoonist) and Ali Yavuz (manager) — detained. Rights groups criticized the use of rear-handcuffing during their detention.
On July 2 all four were arrested, facing charges including “inciting public hatred and enmity” and “insulting religious values.” In Pehlevan’s case, an additional accusation of insulting the president was reported.
A financial investigation was also initiated into LeMan, and arrest warrants were issued for the owner, currently based in France, as well as another senior manager. Prosecutors are investigating potential foreign financial support, aligning with the controversial “agent of influence” bill targeting foreign-funded entities.
Separately, a court ordered the confiscation of the June 26 issue and imposed a nationwide ban on access to LeMan’s website.
On July 3 the media regulator, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), fined Sözcü TV and suspended five programs over a segment in which economist Murat Kubilay commented on the cartoon. RTÜK accused the program of “dividing society” and “fueling polarization.”
Press freedom advocates warn that the case illustrates a broader pattern of repression against independent media in Turkey, where journalists often face prosecution for critical reporting or satire.
Turkey ranks to 159th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in May.