Türkiye’s Erdogan hosts ‘Cake Not Hate’ boy Joshua Harris in Istanbul

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has received Joshua Harris, a 12-year-old autistic boy known for his “Cake Not Hate” campaign.

Erdogan welcomed Harris at the Presidential Dolmabahce Working Office in Istanbul on Wednesday.

Harris, a 12-year-old autistic British boy who launched an anti-Islamophobia campaign after a far-right attack on a mosque, has brought his “Cake Not Hate” initiative to Istanbul.

Harris, known as “Joshie Man”, and his father, Dan Harris, are spending 10 days visiting mosques across the Turkish city and distributing homemade cakes to worshippers as a message of solidarity against anti-Muslim hatred.

The anti-Islamophobia campaign began in October 2025 after far-right extremist Alexander Hooper entered a mosque in Peterborough, England, and attacked members of the congregation and police officers.

Joshua and his father, who lived near the mosque, responded by baking cakes and distributing them to worshippers as a gesture of solidarity.