Turkish stand-up comedian Deniz Goktas went on trial in Istanbul, facing multiple criminal charges including insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His prosecution follows a viral YouTube recording of his “Dead Sea” performance, drawing international attention, embassy observers, and protesters to the courthouse during a crackdown on dissent.
Goktas has been held in pretrial detention since July 3. The formal prosecution stems from a live comedy performance in June, specifically after a YouTube recording of his “Dead Sea” show accumulated nearly 9 million views.
Supporters Pack Istanbul Courthouse For Trial
Supporters, journalists, fellow comedians from Istanbul’s TuzBiber club, and observers from the Dutch embassy and US consulate attended the courthouse proceedings. On the eve of his trial, Goktas wrote in a social media post: After 88 days, I’ll be handcuffed for the first time and hear a car horn.
I’m definitely not missing the handcuffs, but let’s see if I’ve missed the car horn.
Turkish Comedian Faces Charges over Jokes and Presidential Insults
Goktas faces multiple charges, including insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, inciting public hatred and hostility through jokes about Islam, and praising crime and criminals. The indictment points to specific material from the show, such as Goktas describing Erdogan as shy dictator
who had undergone a transition to a dictator who is at peace with his own identity.
Erdogan is named as the sole complainant in the case, though prosecutors cited more than 500 applications to prosecute the comedian, according to the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), a Turkish NGO. Among the complainants was the government-sponsored Presidency of Religious Affairs, also known as Diyanet. The MLSA noted that jokes alleged to incite hatred targeted fundamentalist Islam, including references to women in full-coverage swimsuits as divers
and a quip about suicide bombers who fast.
Prison Jokes Add New Charges For Comedian
The third charge regarding praising crime was added by prosecutors and is tied to a joke about an organized crime family known as the Daltons, which Goktas publicly addressed from his cell. A 90-minute show spawns a new charge every two months,
Goktas wrote in late August, adding that prosecutors had charged him for a joke about the Daltons.
Turkey is a NATO member and EU membership candidate that routinely tries individuals on speech-related offenses, particularly those perceived as insulting its president, who has held power since 2003. Because Turkish courts can issue consecutive rather than concurrent sentences for multiple convictions, Goktas could theoretically face several years in prison if found guilty on all counts.
