Türkiye detains cartoonists over 'satirical' drawing
In its statement on X, 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 honouring 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.
Türkiye's ranking for freedom of expression is consistently low, reflecting significant restrictions on media and public discourse. Reporters Without Borders ranks Türkiye 158th out of 180 countries in its 2024 Press Freedom Index.
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