Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleTurkish comedian Deniz Goktas has been jailed pending trial on charges of insulting President Tayyip Erdogan and religious values, following an investigation into remarks made during a stand-up performance. Goktas was detained at Istanbul Airport upon his return to Turkey on Thursday, after prosecutors initiated an inquiry into content he shared on social media. The investigation focuses on allegations that Goktas insulted religious values during a stand-up show in Istanbul on June 1, where he made references to President Erdogan, the Koran, and jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The comedian's performance rapidly went viral online, garnering over nine million views on YouTube and spreading extensively across platforms like X and Instagram. In his statement to police, Goktas denied the charges, stating his jokes were not an insult to religious values or the Koran, and clarified that his description of Erdogan as a 'dictator' was a political definition. In fullTurkish court jails comedian for routine ‘insulting Erdogan’More bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in