VIDEO: Turkey arrests three cartoonists over Prophet Muhammad drawing

Turkish authorities detained three cartoonists on Monday in connection with a satirical cartoon published in the weekly magazine Leman, which appeared to depict Prophet Moses and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) shaking hands in the sky as missiles rained down below in a war-like setting.

The cartoon sparked swift backlash from government officials and religious groups.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya posted a video on the social media platform X, showing cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan being detained by police and dragged up a staircase with his hands cuffed behind his back.

Peygamber Efendimizin (S.A.V) karikatürünü yaparak nifak tohumları ekmeye çalışanları bir kez daha lanetliyorum.

Bu alçak çizimi yapan D.P. adlı şahıs yakalanarak gözaltına alınmıştır.

Bir kez daha yineliyorum:
Bu hayasızlar hukuk önünde hesap verecektir. pic.twitter.com/7xYe94B65d

— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) June 30, 2025

"I once again curse those who try to sow discord by drawing caricatures of our Prophet Muhammad," Yerlikaya wrote. "The individual who drew this vile image, D.P., has been apprehended and taken into custody. These shameless people will be held accountable before the law."

Yerlikaya later shared additional footage showing police raiding homes and detaining two other men, one of whom was barefoot as he was dragged into a police van.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç confirmed that six individuals were under investigation under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which prohibits inciting hatred and enmity. Detention orders have been issued for all six.

In a statement posted on X, Leman apologized to any readers who felt offended and argued that the cartoon was misinterpreted. The magazine explained that Pehlevan’s drawing was meant to portray "the suffering of a Muslim man killed in Israeli attacks" and was not intended to insult Islam or the Prophet Muhammad.

"The name Muhammad is one of the most common in the Muslim world, used out of reverence for the Prophet," the statement read. "The cartoon does not depict the Prophet himself and was never intended to mock religious beliefs." The magazine accused critics of willfully distorting its message and called on the judiciary to investigate what it described as a coordinated smear campaign.

Bu konuda yayın yapanlara uyarı : BU KARİATÜR bir HZ. MUHAMMED (SAV) KARİKATÜRÜ DEĞİLDİR. Eserde İsrail’in bombardımanlarında katledilen bir müslümanın adı Muhammed olarak kurgulanmıştır. İslam dünyasında 200 milyondan fazla kişinin adı Muhammed’tir. Eserde Hz Muhammed’e hiçbir

— LeMan (@lemandergisi) June 30, 2025

Later that evening, video clips on social media showed protesters gathered outside Leman’s Istanbul offices, chanting and kicking the entrance doors in anger.