Turkish Comedian Jailed Pending Trial for Insulting President Erdogan in Stand-Up Routine
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish court on Friday ordered a comedian jailed pending trial on charges of insulting religious values and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after his stand-up routine included references to him as a “dictator.”
Deniz Goktas, 32, was detained Thursday evening at Istanbul’s main airport upon returning from a trip abroad, days after prosecutors opened an investigation into his comedy show, which had been widely shared online. Following questioning by prosecutors on Friday, he was formally arrested, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The routine, recorded in Istanbul last month, racked up roughly 9.5 million views after being uploaded to YouTube on June 24. The pro-government daily Sabah reported that dozens of viewers were offended by jokes touching on religion and filed complaints, prompting the probe.
During questioning, Goktas said he had no intention of degrading religious values or insulting the president, emphasizing that his act was satirical. When asked about a line in which he described Erdogan as having evolved from a “shy dictator” to one “confident in his identity,” the comedian said the remark reflected a topic widely debated in Turkey, according to excerpts of his testimony published by the rights-focused news portal Bianet.
Insulting the president is a criminal offense in Turkey, punishable by up to four years in prison. The law has been increasingly applied in recent years, with critics arguing it is used to stifle dissent.
Erdogan has consolidated power during more than two decades in office, and opponents say he has steadily narrowed the space for free expression. Journalists, academics, and government critics frequently face investigation, detention, or prosecution. The case against Goktas is the latest in a series of legal actions targeting artists and commentators who cross the line of official tolerance.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan’s main political rival, has been imprisoned since March last year and is on trial on corruption charges — a case widely seen as politically motivated. Hundreds of mayors and other officials from the main opposition party are also under prosecution over corruption allegations while the party’s leader was removed by a court order. Critics say these moves are designed to neutralize the opposition ahead of the next elections. Erdogan’s government maintains that Turkey’s courts are impartial and act independently of political pressure.
Dozens of people gathered outside the courthouse in solidarity with the comedian on Friday, chanting anti-government slogans, according to the opposition-leaning newspaper Cumhuriyet. The case has drawn renewed attention to the state of free speech in Turkey, a NATO member and European Union candidate.