Four suspects have been arrested in connection with the scandalous cartoon in Leman magazine.

02.07.2025 17:35

In the context of the investigation regarding the publication of a cartoon featuring caricatured images of our Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses in Leman Magazine, four suspects were arrested by the duty magistrate. Additionally, a financial investigation has been initiated against the magazine's executives.

The investigation initiated ex officio by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the publication of a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad in a humor magazine is ongoing.

The prosecutor's office requested the arrest of the cartoon's owner, Doğan Pehlevan, for the crimes of "insulting the President" and "inciting or humiliating the public to hatred and enmity," as well as the other suspects, the magazine's editor-in-chief Zafer Aknar, graphic designer Cebrail Okçu, and institution director Ali Yavuz, for the crime of "inciting or humiliating the public to hatred and enmity."

4 SUSPECTS ARRESTED

After their procedures at the prosecutor's office, the suspects Ali Yavuz, Cebrail Okçu, and Zafer Aknar were referred to the court for arrest on the charge of "inciting or humiliating the public to hatred and enmity," while cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan was arrested for "insulting the President" and "inciting or humiliating the public to hatred and enmity."

ACCESS TO THE PROSECUTOR'S REFERRAL LETTER

The referral letter sent by the prosecutor's office to the peace criminal court regarding the 4 suspects who were detained and arrested as part of the investigation has been accessed.

In the referral letter, it was noted that the caricatured images of the Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses on the fourth page of Leman magazine constitute the crime of "inciting or humiliating the public to hatred and enmity," and an investigation has been initiated.

The letter stated that for the crime of "inciting or humiliating the public to hatred and enmity" attributed to the suspects to occur, it is necessary for a segment of the public with different characteristics in terms of social class, race, religion, sect, or region to be publicly incited against another segment, and that this incitement must create an open and imminent danger to public safety.

It was emphasized in the letter that the legal interest in protecting this crime is to prevent potential hatred and enmity that may arise among different elements of society and to maintain public peace. It was stated that allowing groups with the characteristics specified in Article 216, paragraph 1 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) to harbor enmity or hatred against each other would mean facilitating mutual hatred.

The letter indicated that it is not necessary for the incitement to have brought the specified groups face to face for the crime to occur; it would be sufficient for individuals belonging to one class to be incited against individuals belonging to another class, either factually or legally, or for existing hatred to be strengthened.

"THE CARTOON CONTAINS EXPRESSIONS AND VISUALS AIMED AT DISPLAYING INCITING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS"

The referral letter stated, "In the concrete case, on the fourth page of the issue of Leman magazine published on June 26, the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses, who should be evaluated within the religious values embraced by a segment of the public due to being the prophets of the Islamic religion, is illustrated in a scene where bombs are falling on a city, with the caricatured Prophet Muhammad saying 'Peace be upon you, I am Muhammad' and Prophet Moses saying 'Peace be upon them, I am also Moses,' thus holding the Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses responsible for the bombing of the city."

It was stated in the letter that the cartoon contains expressions and visuals aimed at displaying inciting attitudes and behaviors, and that these expressions and visuals are of a nature that directs a segment of the public against another segment to hatred and enmity, inciting discrimination.

The letter noted that after the publication of the magazine containing the expressions and visuals on social media and press outlets, many accounts and groups shared comments, creating an agenda in the media, and that "following this, it created an effect that would cause concern in the eyes of those incited, resulting in an open and imminent danger to public safety."

As stated in the research report prepared by the Public Security Bureau of the Security Branch Directorate on July 1, it was reported that the incited group carried out actions in the Beyoğlu and Bakırköy districts on June 30, and it was emphasized that there is strong suspicion of the suspects committing the crime of "publicly inciting hatred and enmity."

According to the research report prepared by the Cyber Crime Fighting Branch Directorate on July 1, it was stated that the suspect Doğan Pehlevan, the owner of the cartoon, had made posts on his social media account containing insulting expressions towards President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and that the suspect also committed the crime of "insulting the President."

STATEMENTS IN THE POLICE

On the other hand, the statements of the 4 suspects in the police have also emerged. The owner of the cartoon, Doğan Pehlevan, said, "I did not depict the prophets; I only used names. There is a similarity in names. My intention was never related to the Prophets."

"I ONLY DEPICTED THE MENTIONED FIGURES"

It was learned that graphic designer Cebrail Okçu stated, "I have no responsibility; I only depicted the mentioned figures," while another person, the institution director who was detained in the operation, said, "I have no information regarding the matter."

ATTENTION-GRABBING WORDS FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Zafer Aknar, the editor-in-chief of Leman magazine, stated, "I also saw this issue later. I had no information."

FINANCIAL INVESTIGATION INTO LEMAN MAGAZINE

A financial crime investigation has been initiated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the caricatured image of the Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses published in Leman magazine on June 26. In a statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was stated, "During the ongoing investigation, it was determined that the suspects Ali Yavuz, Aslan Özdemir, Cebrail Okcu, Doğan Pehlevan, Mehmet Tunçay Akgün, Zafer Aknar, along with the publisher LM Press Publishing Limited Company and its authorized representative Mehmet Çağçağ, as well as Kemal Şentürk, the authorized representative of LMK Entertainment Company (Leman Culture), which is considered to be connected to LM Press Publishing Limited Company, may have received financial support from domestic or foreign entities or organizations for the execution of the heinous act, and it was deemed that the results that would arise from this would guide the ongoing investigation, thus a financial investigation has been initiated against the mentioned companies and individuals by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office."