Renowned stand‑up comic Deniz Göktaş was hauled into a court in Istanbul and placed in pre‑trial detention after a viral performance sparked outrage from state officials.
The judge cited allegations of “inciting hatred and insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan” after the comedian’s YouTube clip—viewed by 9.4 million people—featured jokes about the president and the Quran.
His arrest comes amid a broader clamp‑down ahead of the 7‑8 July NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara, during which more than 200 activists, journalists and NGO leaders were questioned and a ban on public demonstrations in the capital was imposed.
Family and supporters streamed to the Çağlayan courthouse, handcuffed Göktaş and shouted slogans while Kurdish pop star and democrats rallied for his release.
Analysts see the case as part of a “judicial coup” against the free‑speech landscape in Turkey, with Human Rights Watch warning that satire is protected under the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.
