Four Turkish journalists were arrested after a local magazine reportedly published a cartoon caricature of the Prophet Mohammed, triggering rage-filled protests on Munday outside of the outlet’s offices.

The cartoon in question published by LeMan featured two characters, depicted as angels with wings, hovering over a war-torn city.

One character is drawn as saying “Peace be upon you, I’m Muhammed,” while the other replies, “Peace be upon you, I’m Musa.”

In a statement on social media platform X, LeMan claimed that the cartoon did not depict the prophet, but rather a “Muslim killed by Israel.”

The cartoonist behind the drawing “never intended to insult religious values,” the magazine posted.

“We do not accept the stain that is cast on us because there is no depiction of our Prophet. You have to be very malicious to interpret the cartoon in this way.”

The publication stressed that the “the work does not refer to the Prophet Muhammed in any way.”

But the magazine’s denial did not calm public sentiment, as those believing the cartoon to negatively depict the prophet took to the streets to express their rage.

An angry mob of hundreds chanted “tooth for tooth, blood for blood, revenge, revenge” outside the publication’s offices, with police eventually firing tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

LeMan’s editor-in-chief, graphic designer, institutional director and the cartoonist behind the drawing were all arrested by Turkish police.

According to a statement from the country’s Justice Ministry, the four men will be charged with the crime of “publicly insulting religious values.”

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc wrote on X that “necessary legal steps will be taken without delay” against the detained journalists.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya shared videos of the four men being arrested over the “vile drawing,” which showed them handcuffed and dragged barefoot out of their homes by police.

Image - WIN/X-screenshot