Overview

• Cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan and three senior Leman staff remain in custody on charges of publicly insulting religious values.
• Authorities issued warrants for additional executives as the chief public prosecutor’s office opened an Article 216 inquiry.
• Hundreds of protesters targeted Leman’s Istanbul office over the June cartoon and clashed with police who employed rubber bullets then tear gas to restore order.
• In a statement on X, Leman apologized to readers who felt hurt, denied depicting the Prophet Muhammad and urged a fair judicial review.
• Rights groups criticize Article 216 as a tool against dissent and highlight Turkey’s 158th ranking in the 2024 Press Freedom Index.