AP, ANKARA
A Turkish court on Friday ordered a comedian jailed pending trial on charges of insulting religious values and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after his stand-up routine included references to the leader as a “dictator.” Deniz Goktas was detained on Thursday for questioning at Istanbul’s main airport on his return from a trip abroad, days after prosecutors launched an investigation into his comedy show, which had been widely viewed online. He was formally arrested following questioning by prosecutors on Friday, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The routine, recorded in Istanbul last month, drew about 9.5 million views after being uploaded to YouTube on June 24. The pro-government newspaper Sabah said dozens of viewers were offended by jokes on religion and filed complaints, prompting the investigation.
A person holding a flyer chants slogans in support of Turkish comedian Deniz Goktas in front of the Caglayan Courthouse in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday.
During questioning, Goktas, 32, said he had no intention of degrading religious values or insulting the president, stressing that his approach was satirical. Asked about a quip in which he described Erdogan as having evolved from a “shy dictator” to one “confident in his identity,” the comedian said the remark reflected a topic widely debated in Turkey, according to excerpts of his testimony published by the rights-focused news portal Bianet.
