In June 2015, Turkish President Erdoğan had publicly targeted Dündar, stating: "The individual who reported this as an exclusive story will pay a heavy price for this." In prison, Dündar was denied colored pencils to draw with but made his own paint by pressing fruit in his cell, refusing the ban on color and smuggling his paintings out of prison because he "wanted to prove that color can exist even in the darkest of places."
President Erdoğan publicly denounced Dündar in June 2015, stating: "The individual who revealed this as a unique story will face significant repercussions." While incarcerated, Dündar was denied access to colored pencils but crafted his own paint by crushing fruit within his cell, refusing the prohibition on color and secretly exporting his artwork from prison because he sought to demonstrate that creativity can flourish even in the most desolate settings.