Istanbul: On July 2, Turkey marked the 32nd anniversary of the Madimak Massacre, a tragic event where 33 intellectuals and artists, mostly from the Alevi minority, and two hotel staff members were killed by a fundamentalist mob in Sivas province. Thousands commemorated the day by placing carnations at the site and called for the transformation of the Madimak Hotel into a museum to remember Turkey's history of religiously motivated violence.
According to Global Voices, just days before this commemoration, a crowd gathered outside the offices of LeMan, a satirical magazine in Istanbul, incited by a cartoon published in its June 26 issue. Authorities accused the cartoon of insulting religious values, as it depicted figures identified as Muhammad and Moses in war-torn settings, alluding to conflicts in Gaza and Iran. This led to protests, arrests, and investigations into LeMan and its staff.
On June 30, an extremist mob protested outside LeMan's office, chanting Sharia slogans, throwing stones, and attempting to break in. While the mob was left unchallenged, four of the magazine's staff were arrested: manager Ali Yavuz, editor Zafer Aknar, cartoonist Dogan Pehlevan, and graphic designer Cebrail Okçu. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya released videos stating the arrests were for publicly insulting religious values under Article 216 of the penal code, and authorities seized copies of the June issue and launched a financial investigation into LeMan. Meanwhile, the protesters attacking nearby establishments faced no police action.
Journalist Ezgi Basaran highlighted the link between the mob attack and the Great Eastern Islamic Raiders Front (IBDA-C), the group behind the Sivas attack 32 years ago. Basaran suggested that the escalation was intentional, as the group has a history of targeting secular institutions during the 1990s.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç criticized the cartoon, stating no freedom allows the mocking of sacred elements, and promised legal action against those responsible. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the cartoon as a provocation, asserting that those disrespecting prophets will be held accountable.
Internationally, organizations like Reporters Without Borders condemned the arrests as an attack on press freedom in Turkey, which ranks 159th out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index.
The parallels between the LeMan incident and the 1993 Madimak Massacre are striking. Both involved accusations of religious insult, igniting mob outrage. The Madimak tragedy resulted in deadly violence, while the LeMan case led to state-backed repression. In both instances, mobs faced little consequence.
In 1993, security forces passively watched the Madimak Hotel burn. In 2025, the government pursued charges against LeMan staff while ignoring threats from protesters. The Madimak massacre trial resulted in varying sentences, but charges were controversially dropped in 2012 due to the statute of limitations.
The Madimak Massacre highlighted the divide between religious conservatism and secular expression. The LeMan incident shows that this culture war persists. Assistant Professor Lisel Hintz noted that the government's handling of the LeMan attack reflects an ongoing culture war by Erdogan to delegitimize opposition.
While tactics have evolved, the core message remains: dissent is dangerous, and satire is now viewed as rebellion.