Turkey Cracks Down on LeMan Magazine, Blocks X Account, Over Cartoon Depicting Muhammad and Moses, Amidst Protests and Arrests

Authorities in Turkey have intensified their actions against LeMan, the satirical magazine at the center of a storm over a cartoon that provoked outrage.

The illustration, published in the weekly, was accused of portraying Prophets Muhammad and Moses shaking hands above a scene of destruction, sparking protests, legal action, and a wave of detentions.

Following a social media outcry, protesters gathered outside LeMan’s office on Istanbul’s İstiklal Avenue.

The Istanbul 5th Criminal Judgeship of Peace imposed an access ban on LeMan’s website and X account on July 1, citing national security and public order concerns.

The demonstration, reportedly organized by members of Islamic groups including the Büyük Doğu Akıncılar Derneği, quickly turned violent.

Stones and sticks were used to smash windows and doors as chants of “Long live Sharia” and “Either they die or we die” echoed through the street. Police intervened to contain the escalating tensions.

In response to the mounting backlash, LeMan defended its publication. The magazine rejected claims that the cartoon depicted the Prophet Muhammad, clarifying that the figure named Muhammad referred to a Muslim man killed in Israeli airstrikes.

“There is no depiction of our Prophet,” LeMan stated. “This caricature is not a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad… In the work, the name Muhammad is fictionalized as belonging to a Muslim killed in Israel’s bombardments. There are more than 200 million people named Muhammad in the Islamic world. The work does not refer to the Prophet Muhammad in any way.”

The magazine extended an apology to those who felt offended but insisted it had fallen victim to a smear campaign, urging the judiciary to act against those responsible.

Government officials swiftly condemned the cartoon. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described it as a “vile provocation” and a “hate crime.”

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya echoed this stance, posting on X: “This is not press freedom. This is not freedom of expression. Such initiatives, which demean our religious values and deeply wound the conscience of Muslims, are provocative, and those who dare to do this will be held accountable before the law. I curse the mentality that insults by making caricatures of our Prophet.”

As tensions rose, police raided the homes of LeMan staff members. Cartoonist Dogan Pehlevan was detained first, followed by Editor-in-Chief Zafer Aknar, graphic designer Cebrail Okcu, and manager Ali Yavuz.

Authorities also issued warrants for two other editors believed to be abroad. Footage of the arrests shared by Yerlikaya showed individuals being taken into custody with their hands cuffed behind their backs. “These shameless people will be held accountable before the law,” Yerlikaya declared.

The decision followed growing demands on social media for action against the magazine.

Platforms that fail to comply with such rulings face penalties under recent amendments to Turkey’s media laws, including advertising bans and throttling.

Free speech advocates expressed alarm at these developments. The Committee to Protect Journalists called for the immediate release of those detained.

Activist Yaman Akdeniz criticized the blocking of LeMan’s platforms, writing on X: “Summary execution. LeMan’s website and its X account with about 600,000 followers have been blocked. The solution to everything is to shut down, ban, block, and silence.”

LeMan’s case comes amid intensifying censorship on digital platforms and social media users in Turkey.

In the first four months of 2025, more than 27,000 social media accounts were blocked, according to official data.

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