Police shot rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse a crowd that on Monday expressed anger at the satirical magazine LeMan, which is accused of having published a drawing of the prophet Muhammad.
The drawing shows a Muslim man and a Jewish man, both with wings and halos, greeting each other while bombs fall below. The image went viral on social media and Turkish authorities condemned the magazine. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized what he meant was "disrespect" towards the prophet Muhammad.
It is a clear provocation disguised as humor, he said in a televised speech.
Those who have shown disrespect towards God's messenger and other prophets will be held accountable before the law, said Erdogan.
Four people arrested
LeMan's editor-in-chief, Tuncay Akgun, said that the image had been misinterpreted.
The drawing is not a caricature of the prophet Muhammad in any way. The name Muhammad refers to a fictional Muslim who has been killed in Israel's bombings. Over 200 million people in the Muslim world are named Muhammad, said Akgun to AFP.
In a statement on Monday, LeMan apologized but also urged authorities to take action against what they described as a smear campaign and to protect freedom of speech. On Tuesday, four employees of the magazine had been deprived of their liberty and an investigation had been initiated for "public insult of religious values".
Riots in Istanbul
About 50 demonstrators attacked a bar in Istanbul that is often visited by LeMan employees, which led to confrontations with police, and the demonstration grew into a riot with 250-300 people. Demonstrators are also said to have attacked the entrance to LeMan's office.
LeMan was founded in 1991 and is known for its political satire. They have long provoked conservatives, especially after showing support for French Charlie Hebdo after the terrorist attack in Paris in 2015 when 12 people were killed after the publication of Muhammad caricatures.
