A Turkish court ordered comedian Deniz Goktas jailed on Friday while he awaits trial on charges of insulting religious values and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stemming from a stand-up routine in which he referred to the president as a “dictator.”
Goktas, 32, was detained Thursday upon arrival at Istanbul’s main airport following a trip abroad. The arrest came days after prosecutors opened an investigation into his comedy show, which had garnered approximately 9.5 million views after being uploaded to YouTube on June 24. He was formally arrested Friday following questioning by prosecutors, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
The routine, recorded in Istanbul last month, drew complaints from viewers who objected to jokes about religion, prompting the probe, the pro-government newspaper Sabah reported. During questioning, Goktas maintained he had no intention of degrading religious values or insulting the president, characterizing his act as satire.
Regarding a quip describing Erdogan as having evolved from a “shy dictator” to one “confident in his identity,” Goktas testified that the remark reflected a subject widely debated in Turkey, according to excerpts published by the rights-focused news portal Bianet.
Insulting the president is a criminal offense in Turkey carrying a potential sentence of up to four years in prison. Critics argue that Erdogan, who has held power for over two decades, has progressively restricted free expression, with journalists and government opponents frequently facing investigation, detention, or prosecution.
The detention follows the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan’s primary political rival, who has been jailed since March 2024 on corruption charges. Hundreds of opposition party mayors and officials also face prosecution, while the party’s leader was recently removed by court order—moves critics describe as attempts to neutralize the opposition ahead of future elections.
The government maintains that Turkey’s courts operate independently and without political interference. On Friday, dozens of supporters gathered at the courthouse in solidarity with Goktas, chanting anti-government slogans, according to the opposition-leaning newspaper Cumhuriyet.
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