Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş arrested for insulting Islam and Erdogan
A popular Turkish comedian was detained at the airport upon returning from abroad after his 90-minute stand-up show allegedly contained offensive remarks about religion and the president.
Turkish authorities arrested popular comedian Deniz Göktaş at Istanbul Airport on Thursday on charges of insulting Islam and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a criminal offense under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code.
The arrest stems from a 90-minute stand-up performance uploaded to YouTube on June 24, which has been viewed nearly nine million times. In the show, Göktaş satirically reviewed political developments in Turkey and mocked nearly all sides of the political spectrum, including Erdogan, whom he openly called a "dictator" who is finally "openly at peace with his desires."
Prior to the arrest, short clips from the show were banned on social media platform X for "national security and public order" reasons. The Istanbul public prosecutor's office later launched an investigation after receiving 185 complaints about the show. Göktaş, who had been on holiday abroad, flew back to Turkey knowingly expecting arrest. His lawyer said he is due to appear in court on Friday morning.
The 32-year-old comedian, born in Ankara, began his stand-up career at Istanbul's TuzBiber comedy club in 2019. His detention is part of a broader crackdown by authorities against anyone perceived as critical of Turkey's Islamo-conservative government or its values, with increasing legal scrutiny of musicians, artists, journalists, and politicians.
