Turkish police arrest four cartoonists after Mohammed

Turkish police arrest four cartoonists after Mohammed

The Turkish police arrested at least four cartoonists on Monday who are accused of having drawn and distributed a cartoon that is viewed by the authorities and protesters as a representation of the Prophet Mohammed and Moses.

content of the controversial cartoon

The caricature published in a political satirical magazine shows a Muslim and a Jew, both with wings and halo, which shake hands and greet each other while bombs fall underneath. These representations quickly aroused the mind and led to violent reactions.

protests and reactions of the authorities

Four days after the publication, the caricature went viral on social media. Hundreds of people flocked to the main tourist road in Istanbul, chanted "Allah is great" and demanded the introduction of Sharia law as a protest against publication. The Turkish authorities immediately condemned the magazine.

political statements about caricature

The Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya described the caricature as a provocation and explained that those who dare to do this are held responsible before the law. Yerlikaya emphasized that the caricature was not protected by freedom of expression.

Driving Altun, head of the Turkish President's communication department, called the caricature a "hideous attack on our beliefs and values". The state Ministry of Justice announced that an investigation under Article 216 of the Turkish Criminal Code was initiated due to the crime of "public insulting religious values".

opinion of the magazine Leman

leman, the weekly political satirical magazine, known for disrespectful comics similar to the French Charlie Hebdo, published a statement in which it explained that the caricature did not represent the Islamic prophet: "This caricature is not a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed (peace was fictionalized than the a Muslim who was killed in the bombing in Israel. ”

The magazine emphasized that it was not intended to reduce religious values ​​and that the intention was to show the wrongly oppressed Muslims. "We reject the stigma imposed on us because there is no representation of our prophet," said Leman.

protests and arrests

While the protesters flocked to the streets, the Interior Ministry published videos of arrested cartoonists in their apartments, which were taken barefoot and handcuffs from the police, accompanied by statements such as: "You will not escape our security forces or the judiciary." Protesting goods to see how they stepped in the doors of the magazine in Istanbul while a demonstrator called: "We would give and live our lives and live for our prophets; nobody can insult our prophets."

The crowd also carried out a nightly prayer. Within a few hours, Istanbul's governor Davut Gul announced that all four people who were sought because of the cartoon are in police custody.

gul did not comment on whether demonstrators were arrested, but stated that it was found that some people who were among the protesters had committed provocative actions. It is of great importance that the protest groups differ to prevent damage to our citizens and maintain public order.

further developments

Some groups called for further protests against the magazine on Tuesday. This story was corrected to make it clear that the cartoonists were arrested, but are not officially arrested. This is a developing story that is updated.