Istanbul faced violent clashes as police fired rubber bullets and teargas to disperse a crowd protesting against the satirical magazine LeMan. The uproar followed the prosecutor's orders to arrest the magazine's editors over an alleged cartoon that insulted religious values. Editor-in-chief Tuncay Akgun defended the image, claiming it was misinterpreted and had no connection to the prophet Muhammad. The cartoon depicted a character similar to Muhammad but fictionalized a name associated with casualties from bombardments. The magazine has a history of provoking conservative sentiment, particularly after supporting Charlie Hebdo following past violence.
The clashes occurred after Istanbul's chief prosecutor ordered the arrest of the editors at LeMan magazine for publishing a cartoon that publicly insulted religious values.
The magazine's editor-in-chief, Tuncay Akgun, stated that the image had been misinterpreted, clarifying it was not a caricature of the prophet Muhammad.
More than 200 million people in the Islamic world are named Muhammad, suggesting the cartoon's intention was misunderstood within its cultural context.
LeMan has long been the bane of conservatives, particularly after its support for Charlie Hebdo following the Paris attacks in 2015.
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