July 3, 2026, 3:58 p.mJuly 3, 2026, 3:58 p.m
A Turkish stand-up comedian has been ordered remanded in custody by an Istanbul court for “insulting the president”. The public prosecutor’s office has referred Deniz Göktas to a magistrate, the state news agency Anadolu reported.
He was also accused of “inciting the population to hatred and hostility or degradation.” The 32-year-old artist was arrested at the airport on his return trip to Türkiye on Thursday, his lawyer said. Last week, Göktas uploaded a recording of his program in which, among numerous other topics, he also spoke about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and religious aspects. The video has now been viewed around 9.5 million times.
Great support in front of the courtroom
During the artist’s stay abroad, it became known that investigations had been initiated against him. As seen on videos, numerous trial observers protested in the courthouse after the arrest warrant was announced.
Supporters gathered in front of the Istanbul court and demonstrated for his release, including journalists and political activists as well as other artists. After Göktas’s arrest, the Turkish human rights association IHD wrote on X that legal harassment against freedom of expression had become a systematic practice in Turkey. (hkl/sda/dpa)