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.
The pair later received numerous threatening messages after launching the initiative.
But rather than stopping, they decided to visit more mosques and expand their campaign.
Since then, the “Cake Not Hate” campaign has spread to several countries, with the father and son visiting more than 100 mosques across the UK to promote solidarity and stand against anti-Muslim hatred.
In Istanbul, they began their campaign at the historic Suleymaniye Mosque, visiting after noon prayers to offer homemade cakes to worshippers.
Carrying a bag with the slogan “Cake Not Hate", Joshua has continued his campaign in the city, using cakes as a simple message of friendship and resistance to hate.
