In Istanbul, Turkey, a political cartoon published by LeMan magazine has sparked international outrage. This public outcry gave rise to an independent prosecutor investigation and subsequent arrests. The cartoon “publicly insulted religious values,” which led Istanbul’s chief prosecutor to call for the arrest of the magazine’s editors. Authorities launched the investigation after complaints of “publicly insulting religious values.” Communications Director Yilmaz Tunc, a smart representative of the chorus, did indeed affirm this outlandish claim.
Founded in 1991, LeMan is known for its cutting political satire. It is often under attack from conservative elements in Turkey. The magazine demonstrated its solidarity with France’s Charlie Hebdo in the wake of the horrific attack on its Paris offices in 2015. This unspeakable act took the lives of twelve Parisien citizens, assassinated in cold blood by radical Islamist killers. This attack was related to the publication of caricatures of the prophet Muhammad. This link has deepened existing divides rooted in freedom of expression and freedom to practice one’s religion.
The current incident has brought such a withering rebuke even from government leaders. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that police had detained the cartoonist who created the offending image as well as LeMan’s graphic designer.
Tuncay Akgun, LeMan’s editor-in-chief, defended the cartoon, stating, “This cartoon is not a caricature of prophet Muhammad in any way.” He insisted that the artist had meant to convey the suffering of marginalized Muslim populations and not insult religious traditions. Akgun expressed regret for any misunderstandings, saying, “We apologise to our well-intentioned readers who we think were subjected to provocations.”
Nonetheless, in spite of these defenses, the conservative group backlash is only picking up steam. Davut Gul, a prominent figure in Turkish politics, condemned the publication, asserting that “disrespect towards our beliefs is never acceptable.” He further stated, “No freedom grants the right to make the sacred values of a belief the subject of ugly humour,” highlighting concerns over societal peace.
LeMan magazine has held their ground despite accusations of bad form all around, conscious contempt. In a statement, they remarked, “We do not accept the stigma imposed on us because there is no depiction of our prophet. It takes a very malicious person to interpret the cartoon in this way.” They stressed their need for satire to make changes to society while still walking a fine line of free speech.
Protestors chant around the police barricade erected near the site of McDonald’s shooting by police. It remains to be seen how these legal battles will develop and if they will impact the broader fight over freedom of expression in Turkey.