ISTANBUL — Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş on Monday appeared before an Istanbul court to face charges linked to jokes and political satire in his stand-up performance, including allegations of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The 32-year-old comedian, who is known for his dry humour and political commentary, has been in pre-trial detention since July after authorities opened an investigation into his stand-up special, Ölü Deniz. The performance was published on YouTube on June 24 and quickly attracted millions of viewers. Reports from Turkish media said it had received more than nine million views, bringing wider attention to some of the jokes and political references contained in the show.
Göktaş was detained at Istanbul Airport on July 2 after returning from a trip abroad. A court ordered his arrest the following day, and he has remained in custody since then. Prosecutors accuse him of insulting Erdoğan, inciting hatred or hostility among the public and, later, praising crime and criminals. The comedian has disavowed intending to insult the president or upset religious believers. During earlier proceedings, he maintained that the disputed material was part of a stand-up routine that he had performed in different parts of Turkey for several years. Ahead of Monday’s hearing, supporters gathered outside the Çağlayan Courthouse in Istanbul despite heavy rain. Around 50 people were seen holding umbrellas and chanting support for the comedian, while police officers were deployed around the building.
A number of fellow comedians and supporters were also at the courthouse to follow the proceedings. Some of them were associated with Istanbul’s TuzBiber Comedy Club, where Göktaş reportedly began his stand-up career in 2019. After making a name for himself on the local comedy scene, Göktaş gradually began taking his performances beyond Turkey.
He appeared at comedy shows and other live events in different cities across Europe and the United States, where he continued to build an audience with his style of humour. His concerts always touched on every topic, social issues and politics, with jokes presented in a dry and sometimes direct way.
The court case has drawn so much attention in the community, not just because of him, but because people are supposed to have freedom of speech, especially in Turkey. The proceedings have raised questions about how far comedians, artists and other performers can go when making jokes about politicians, public institutions, religion and other sensitive subjects. Some people in support of Göktaş say the jokes were part of his comedy routine and should be understood as satire. Turkish authorities have a different view about that, arguing that some of his jokes crossed the line and could amount to an offence according to the country’s laws
The case is therefore being followed not only by people in the comedy industry but also by journalists, rights groups and others interested in freedom of expression. For many observers, the outcome could add to the continuing debate over the limits placed on political humour and criticism in Turkey.
. Critics of the government have raised concerns about criminal investigations involving journalists, artists, politicians and other public figures over comments made in public or online.
Goktas sometimes does make some post in his X account while in detention, using his humour to describe his experience behind bars. In one post before his court appearance, he joked about being handcuffed for the first time after spending 88 days in detention. Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of between two years and seven months and 12 years and two months if Göktaş is convicted on the charges against him. The case was taken up by Istanbul’s 14th Criminal Court of First Instance, which fixed September 28 for Göktaş’s first court appearance.
The comedian’s trial is expected to draw further attention to the treatment of political satire and public criticism in Turkey, particularly when jokes involving senior political figures or religious issues become the subject of criminal proceedings.
