Turkey arrests comedian over jokes about President Erdoğan and Islam

Deniz Göktaş, a popular Turkish stand‑up comic, has been arrested by Istanbul courts after a performance that attracted 9.4 million views on YouTube.

The court said the routine incited hatred and insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, leading to Göktaş’s pre‑trial detention.

Authorities have received 185 complaints about the video, and the religious affairs directorate criticised the use of humour at the expense of religious values. Göktaş denied offending anyone religiously and argued he had no intention of insulting the president.

The arrest follows a broader crackdown on dissent ahead of the NATO summit slated for 7–8 July, during which the government has detained more than 200 people, blocked LGBT+ activists’ social media and banned demonstrations in Ankara until 10 July.

Supporters gathered outside the Çağlayan courthouse in Istanbul, chanting slogans against the detainment and calling for Göktaş’s release.

In a broader context, opposition figure Ekrem İmamoğlu has been imprisoned for over a year, and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) has faced a judicial purge, with its former chairman removed and replaced by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Human Rights Watch warns of “far‑reaching restrictions” on political opposition, media and freedom of expression in Turkey, and the freedom‑of‑speech monitor states Göktaş is being imprisoned simply for telling jokes, which are constitutionally protected.