Comedian Deniz Göktaş detained at İstanbul Airport after new show goes viral
- The 32-year-old comedian who gained fame in recent years is facing charges of insulting religious values
- His latest show accumulated millions of views online before government-aligned figures targeted the comedian
- Access to some excerpts from the show circulating on social media was banned by authorities
Standup comedian Deniz Göktaş was detained today at İstanbul Airport upon his return from a vacation abroad. The detention follows a backlash from circles close to the government over his latest show, "Ölü Deniz."
Following his detention at passport control, Göktaş was taken to the İstanbul Security Directorate for questioning.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed the detention, stating that an investigation is underway against the comedian on charges of "publicly insulting religious values adopted by a section of the population" as per Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code and "insulting the president" as per Article 299.
The show was performed at İstanbul's Harbiye Open Air Theater on Jun 1 and the video was published on YouTube on Jun 25. The video was viewed 8.7 million times in one week, and clips from the performance went viral across social media platforms, accumulating millions of views.
Following its widespread circulation, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) blocked access to some excerpts from the show shared on social media.
Prominent figures from the ruling circles, including Great Unity Party (BBP) Chair Mustafa Destici, former Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek, and former MP Şamil Tayyar, targeted Göktaş online prior to his detention.
The politically charged performance features satirical jokes about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and opposition leaders. Göktaş also addresses long-standing issues in Turkey, such as the Kurdish and Alevi questions, alongside jokes regarding the Quran. (HA/VK)