Turkish stand-up comedian Deniz Goktas was detained on Thursday while returning to Istanbul International Airport from abroad.
Goktas was taken into custody as soon as he arrived.
What appears to be the reason for Goktas’s detention?
The news comes days after Goktas shared a video of the online traction it has gathered in Türkiye.
“For some reason my favorite joke isn’t shared much,” he captioned the nearly 3-minute clip he shared.
The short clip included comments about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Islam.
Despite a nominally secular constitution and guarantees of free speech, “insulting” religious beliefs or the head of state can lead to criminal investigation in Turkey.
What did prosecutors say about the detention and investigation?
Istanbul’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement saying that authorities had received 185 public complaints about the video and had launched an investigation as a result.
It said the investigation was related to the controversial Article 216(3) of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalizes “publicly insulting the religious values adopted by a section of the population.” The punishment for this alleged offense can range from six months to one year in jail.
“Deniz Goktas was apprehended at Istanbul Airport on July 2, 2026. Procedures are currently underway to transfer the suspect to the custody of the Istanbul Security Branch Directorate, the law enforcement unit conducting the investigation.” Prosecutors said.
The statement did not say whether Goktas had been formally arrested or faced charges, only saying he was under investigation and in custody.
Politicians from Erdogan’s conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP) and leftist Republican People’s Party (CHP) had discussed the content of the video in parliament a day earlier, according to a report by the T24 news site.
It summarized the dispute as pitting the protection of “sacred values” against upholding “freedom of expression”.
How does Türkiye use its laws against insulting religion?
According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Türkiye’s prosecution of insults to religious values is “a violation of the country’s human rights commitments.”
Among countries in or partly within Europe, only Russia more frequently uses rules criminalizing criticism of religion.
“This is particularly worrisome because the government, including the President and other officials, are relying on this provision to target and silence individuals who express criticism in a religious context, disclose beliefs or the lack thereof that differ from the majority of the population, or associate with religion in a way that is considered ‘mockery’ or ‘offensive,’” USCIRF wrote in the 2022 report.
Erdogan’s government has also drawn attention in recent years for prosecuting people who unfairly criticize officials and for various prosecutions against prominent members of the opposition, particularly the CHP.
The country is also tightening security ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara next week.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico
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