Turkish comedian detained over jokes that offended Erdogan and Islam

Wed Sep 16 2026 04:48:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Stand‑up comic Deniz Göktaş was arrested in Istanbul after a YouTube video featuring jokes about President Erdoğan drew 9.4 million views.

Deniz Göktaş, one of Turkey’s most popular stand‑up comedians, was held at Istanbul airport and brought before a court after a 24‑minute show on YouTube sparked outrage. Authorities charged him with inciting hatred and insulting the president, a move seen as part of a broader crackdown on dissent ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara. The arrest follows a wave of detentions of journalists, activists and political opposition members, with over 200 people reportedly detained in the run‑up to the meeting of world leaders. Supporters gathered outside the courthouse, calling for his release and accusing the Turkish judiciary of stifling free expression. Human rights groups warned that the case signals a widening clamp‑down on political opposition and media freedom.

Turkish comedian detained over jokes that offended Erdogan and Islam

Deniz Göktaş, one of Turkey’s most popular stand‑up comics, was held at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport and taken to the Çağlayan courthouse for pre‑trial detention. The move comes after a 24‑minute video featuring the comedian’s routine, which includes jokes about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and references to the Quran, accumulated 9.4 million views on YouTube.

Court documents reveal that the prosecution charged Göktaş with inciting hatred, hostility, and insulting the head of state. In a statement to the court, the comedian insisted he had no intention of offending anyone religiously and denied slurping the president’s name.

The arrest fits a pattern of Turkey’s tightening grip on dissent amid preparations for the NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara, scheduled for 7–8 July. Over 200 people, including journalists, lawyers, activists, academics, and members of the environment and LGBT+ movements, were reportedly detained in the weeks leading up to the meeting. Tens of thousands of security forces have been deployed to safeguard the summit, which will feature Turkey’s president alongside U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Following the arrest, supporters gathered outside the courthouse, chanting slogans and calling for Göktaş’s release. Opposition figures such as Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the newly appointed leader of the Republican People’s Party, criticised the detention and urged the authorities to release the comedian.

Human Rights Watch and other international observers have warned that Turkey’s crackdown on political opposition, media, and freedom of expression could have far‑reaching consequences for the country’s democratic institutions. They caution that satire, a protected form of expression under both Turkey’s constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, appears to be increasingly criminalised in the current political climate.

In the caption below, supporters of Göktaş can be seen outside the courthouse in Istanbul, protesting his detention and demanding his release.