The cartoonist and author Martin Rowson has encouraged people around the world to draw caricatures of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in an attempt to raise awareness of a perceived clampdown on Turkish cartoonists wishing to lampoon him.
Over a series of messages on Twitter, Rowson, a regular Guardian contributor, wrote: “President Erdoğan of Turkey is seeking 10 year stretch for a Turkish cartoonist. Recently another Turkish cartoonist was heavily fined for drawing Erdogan as a cat.
“Maybe, if it’s safe, a whole pile of cartoonists round the world should tweet their cartoons of Erdoğan to teach him some humility before God and us cartoonists. Otherwise he might give the very strong impression that he’s a chippy narcissistic despot. The very idea! I’ll file my #ErdoganCaricature tomorrow morning. Start scribbling, comrades!”
True to his word, Rowson posted his own caricature of the Turkish president on Thursday morning, and encouraged others to do likewise - if safe to do so.
Here's my #Erdogancaricature, in support of Musa Kart, facing 9yrs jail for cartoon of Turkish President. Add yours! pic.twitter.com/Dw3tAcOwdQ
— Martin Rowson (@MartinRowson) October 23, 2014
Soon, others took up the challenge:
@MartinRowson #erdogancaricature pic.twitter.com/OobsJHzqxr
— mortenmorland (@mortenmorland) October 22, 2014
#erdogancaricature pic.twitter.com/frzrPHKrT7
— Mumph (@mumphtoons) October 23, 2014
Rowson later tweeted an updated from Musa Kart’s trial:
Looks like @MusaKart's been acquitted in 1st trial of defaming Turkish Pres in a cartoon. Hooray! But keep those #Erdogancaricatures coming!
— Martin Rowson (@MartinRowson) October 23, 2014
Good to hear the latest on @MusaKart just as I finished this for #erdogancaricature. pic.twitter.com/4BGvo1c4xm
— Steve Bright (@Brighti) October 23, 2014
Erdoğan’s sensitivity towards cartoonists is not a new phenomenon: in 2005, he demanded compensation from the satirical magazine Penguen after its cartoonist depicted him as a frog, camel, monkey, snake, duck and an elephant. Musa Kart himself was successfully sued in 2005 for drawing the president as a cat.
A number of cartoons have also been tweeted using #ErdoganCartoon, mocking and criticising the president and his policies, while also raising awareness of Musa Kart’s trial.
