The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) strongly condemn the arrests of cartoonists and media workers of the satirical magazine LeMan on charges of “inciting the public to hatred and enmity” and call for the charges to be dropped.
On 2 July 2025, Turkish authorities arrested four staff members of satirical magazine LeMan on charges of “inciting the public hatred and enmity” over a controversial cartoon, published in the 26 June issue, that officials claim depicts the Prophet Muhammad. Cartoonist Dogan Pehlevan, editorial manager Zafer Aknar, graphic designer Cebrail Okcu, and manager Ali Yavuz are in custody pending trial. A financial investigation into foreign funding was also launched by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office against the media and its staff. Arrest warrants were issued for the owner, based in France, and another manager.
Images of the cartoon republished on social media show two angels shaking hands in the sky over a bombed-out city, one is called Muhammad and the other Moses. Turkish authorities interpreted the cartoon as a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad, with Erdoğan’s ruling party describing it as an ‘Islamophobic hate crime’. Tuncay Akgun, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, denied having published a caricature, explaining that the cartoon was intended to highlight the suffering of Muslims, represented with a Muhammad – the most common given name – not the Prophet, during armed conflict.
In a joint statement, the Turkish Journalists Union (TGS), Turkish Writers Union (TYS), Turkish Journalists Association (TGC), Turkish Publishers Association (TURKYAYBIR), and PEN Writers Association have criticised the targeting, attack and violence-oriented discourses that have followed the publication of the cartoon, including protests that took place outside the magazine’s offices in Istanbul on 1 July.
Another concerning development was the Turkish regulator (the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) ’s decision on 3 July 2025, to impose an administrative fine and suspend five programs for “violation of national and moral values” against Sözcü TV for a commentary on the LeMan cartoon by economics expert Dr. Murat Kubilay. RTÜK justified this decision by explaining that Kubilay’s statement “divides society into enlightened and reactionary groups” and “fuels polarisation”.
The Turkish authorities have also banned distribution of the issue of LeMan with the cartoon, and ordered that copies be withdrawn from newsstands. LeMan’s website and X account in Turkey were blocked by a court order.
The EFJ and the IFJ strongly condemn these new attacks on Turkish media in a context of growing repression, which is now censoring all forms of expression.
“By attacking cartoons, the Turkish authorities are attacking the supreme symbol of freedom of expression. We remind the crucial role of cartoonists in the media landscape and democratic societies, protected under the European Convention on Human Rights, which authorises the right to share information or ideas likely to ‘offend, shock or disturb’ as they contribute to public debate.”
Both federations stand in solidarity with LeMan staff and call for the charges against them to be dropped. Journalism is not a crime.
Source: EFJ
