The indictment prepared as part of the investigation into the cartoon published in the June 26 issue of Leman magazine demands up to four years and six months in prison for six people.
The owner of the cartoon, Doğan Pehlevan, editors Aslan Özdemir and Zafer Aknar, graphic designer Cebrail Okçu and managing editor Ali Yavuz are all under arrest. An arrest warrant has been issued for Tuncay Akgün, the owner of the magazine, who is abroad.
The indictment accuses the six of “public incitement to hatred and hostility”. The cartoon depicted a scene of two men named “Muhammad” and “Musa” greeting each other over a bombed city.
Conservative circles and politicians criticized the cartoon for insulting religious values, and groups chanting sharia slogans in front of the magazine building were prevented by police from entering the building. Leman stated that the cartoon did not depict prophets and was not intended to insult religious values.
September 4, 2025
BBC News Turkish