Police raided the printing press of Turkish daily Cumhuriyet on Jan. 14, as it prepared to distribute a four-page selection of Charlie Hebdo’s new issue in an act of solidarity with the French satirical magazine targeted last week in a deadly attack that claimed 12 victims.You don't want to mess with Mohammed. Good thing the Turkish police can protect his honor for him.
The police also took extreme security measures ahead of the scheduled publication of the supplement.
Police cars were sent to the printer of the daily in Istanbul early on Jan. 14 and halted trucks to prevent the distribution of the Jan. 14 edition. The distribution was eventually allowed after the prosecution made sure that cartoons representing the Prophet Muhammad were not included in the selection.
Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Utku Çakırözer stated earlier that they had decided not to publish a cartoon on the cover featuring the Prophet Muhammad in tears holding a “Je suis Charlie” banner, in reference to solidarity protests with the magazine.
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Despite the daily’s decision not to publish the most controversial cartoons, police extended security measures in the surroundings of its offices in Istanbul’s central Şişli neighborhood.
An employee of daily Cumhuriyet told the Hürriyet Daily News on condition of anonymity on Jan. 14 that the newspaper had received hundreds of death threats.
Despite the official message of support to the victims, the magazine has been chided by many officials and commentators for publishing cartoons of Muhammad.
“Daily Cumhuriyet will be complicit with a magazine that insults sacred values and commits hate crimes against Muslims, slamming religion,” said conservative daily Yeni Şafak, known for its closeness to the government.
(h/t Irene)