ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish authorities detained a comedian whose stand-up performance sparked controversy after it was perceived as disrespectful to religious values following widespread online viewing.
Deniz Goktas was intercepted at Istanbul’s primary airport upon his return from overseas, as reported by the state-run Anadolu agency, amid an ongoing investigation into potential charges of “publicly offending religious sentiments.”
The comedian’s performance, filmed in Istanbul last month, was posted on YouTube and garnered millions of views in Turkey. The pro-government Sabah newspaper reported that numerous viewers were upset by jokes related to religion, leading to formal complaints against the comedian and triggering the investigation.
Sabah and other media outlets published an image of the 32-year-old comedian being escorted by a police officer at the airport.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has centralized authority over his two-decade tenure, with critics arguing he has progressively restricted free speech, targeting opponents—including politicians and journalists—with legal charges.
These restrictions have recently extended to popular culture, as Goktas becomes the latest public figure to face scrutiny, detention, or prosecution for remarks considered offensive.
Previously, authorities blocked access to segments of Goktas’ performance, including jokes targeting Erdogan, that were shared on social media platforms.
