A YouTube talk show host and his guest have been arrested over a joke during a program which was interpreted as making fun of Islamic narratives.
Boğaç Soydemir, the host of the Soğuk Savaş program, and his guest Enes Akgündüz were detained and brought before a judge yesterday, who ordered their arrest on charge of “inciting the public into hatred and enmity” as per article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code.
The investigation centers on a segment in which Soydemir asked Akgündüz how he would respond to the saying, “Alcohol is the mother of all evil.” Akgündüz replied that he did not know the answer. Soydemir then said the response was, “I like MILFs anyways, bro.”
The saying he mentioned is a hadith, an Islamic oral tradition containing the purported words and actions of the prophet Muhammad.
The clip circulated widely on social media, sparking public backlash, which was followed by an investigation launched by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Both Soydemir and Akyüz were taken into custody and questioned before being referred to court with a request for arrest.
Accusations denied
During his appearance before the İstanbul 3rd Penal Judgeship of Peace, Soydemir denied the accusation, saying, “I would never say such a thing about our prophet or our religion,” he said.
He told the judge that after realizing the impact of the remark, the video was removed and he posted an apology on his personal accounts. He asked to be released pending trial.
His lawyer, Ömer Teker, argued that the remarks in question does not meet the alleged offense. “The law requires a concrete threat to public safety. Only incitement involving violence or encouragement of violence falls within its scope,” he said.
“My client made no such statements, nor did he act with the intent required by the article," he added, requesting his client's release.
Akgündüz told the court he had no prior experience appearing on such programs and was caught off guard. “I was confused, smiled awkwardly, and did not even understand the answer,” he said, also asking to be released.
His lawyer, Nazım Enes Çoğun, emphasized that Akgündüz, born in 2002, is a rapper with no criminal record. “He joined the program to reach a wider audience. His only action was smiling at a question. He has a permanent residence and no risk of fleeing,” he said, demanding the court allow him to remain free.
The court, however, ruled to jail both men on charges of “openly inciting hatred and enmity among the public through press and broadcast," citing a risk of flight and possible tampering with evidence.
In Turkish law, there is also a separate offense for insulting religious values. However, because the maximum penalty for this charge is lower, it does not allow for pre-trial detention.
Prior to his arrest, Soydemir had already issued a public apology, stating, “I want to apologize to those I hurt with a joke I made recently. I had no such intention. Normally, I try to be careful with the jokes I make, but at that moment I was reading a joke submitted by viewers for the first time.
"I thought it was just a wordplay, but I should have thought more about it. After my friends pointed it out, I realized they were right. For that, I apologize.” (HA/VK)
