Tensions flared in Istanbul on Monday after allegations that LeMan, a prominent Turkish satirical magazine, published a cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammed. The controversy led to violent clashes between protesters and police, with authorities deploying rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse an angry crowd of around 300 people.
The uproar began after the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for several of LeMan’s staff, accusing them of “publicly insulting religious values” in the magazine’s June 26, 2025 edition. A black-and-white cartoon shared online showed two characters in the sky above a bombed-out city exchanging greetings: “Salam aleikum, I’m Mohammed,” says one, with the other responding, “Aleikum salam, I’m Musa.”
The cartoon was swiftly condemned by Turkish authorities. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that the cartoonist, editor-in-chief, and graphic designer had been arrested. The police also took control of LeMan’s offices on Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue.
However, LeMan’s editor-in-chief Tuncay Akgun, speaking from Paris, strongly denied that the cartoon depicted the Prophet Mohammed. “The character is a fictional representation of a Muslim victim of Israeli bombardment named Mohammed, not the Prophet,” he said. “We would never take such a risk.”
LeMan defended the cartoon on social media, arguing it was a tribute to the suffering of Muslims in conflict zones and had been deliberately misrepresented to provoke outrage.
Despite this clarification, tensions continued to mount. Protesters attacked a bar frequented by LeMan staff, escalating into wider street clashes. Authorities, including Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc and Istanbul Governor Davut Gul, condemned the publication, with Tunc stating that “disrespect toward our beliefs is never acceptable.”
Akgun likened the backlash to past attacks on freedom of expression, warning of dangerous comparisons to the Charlie Hebdo attack in France in 2015. “This is a very systematic provocation,” he said.
As Turkey grapples with deepening divisions over religious sensitivities and freedom of speech, the incident has once again sparked national debate on the limits of satire in a polarized society.
