World · Middle East · 4 hrs ago
Turkish comedian says 88 days in jail did not make him regret his show
Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş says he does not regret performing material that led to 88 days in jail.
The case involved his stand-up special “Ölü Deniz,” which includes jokes about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, religion and Turkish society.
After the special was posted on YouTube, it attracted 15 million views.
Göktaş was detained at İstanbul Airport on July 2 and jailed the next day.
On September 28, a court convicted him of insulting the president and publicly insulting religious values, but acquitted him of praising crime and criminals.
He received a prison sentence of just over 19 months, but the court ordered his release while he appeals.
Göktaş says the experience strengthened his commitment to free speech and that he wanted his courtroom defense to encourage other comedians.
His appeal is the next step in the case.
Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş says he has no regrets about the stand-up show that led to 88 days in jail.
He told The New York Times that the experience strengthened his confidence and commitment to speaking freely.
A court convicted him of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and publicly insulting religious values, and sentenced him to just over 19 months in prison.
The court ordered his release pending appeal and acquitted him of praising crime and criminals.
The case concerned his second stand-up special, “Ölü Deniz” (Dead Sea), which had 15 million views on YouTube.
- Who
- Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş.
- What
- He says he does not regret releasing the stand-up special that led to his imprisonment for 88 days.
- When
- He was detained on July 2 and convicted on September 28; the source article was published on October 12, 2026.
- Where
- He was detained at İstanbul Airport. The case concerned a stand-up special released on YouTube.
- Why
- The prosecution concerned jokes and remarks in his special, including remarks about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and religious values.
Deniz Göktaş
Prosecutors
Basis for the case
Deniz Göktaş
Göktaş argued that his jokes were political comedy and that calling a dictator a dictator was a political characterization.
Prosecutors
Prosecutors charged him with insulting the president and publicly insulting religious values.
Praising crime allegation
Deniz Göktaş
Göktaş denied praising the Daltonlar gang and said the joke criticized crime and violence.
Prosecutors
Prosecutors also accused him of praising crime and criminals.
Not even one second
I didn’t want to be apologetic
Dictator is not an insult: it is a political characterization
As I got bigger and more established, I had more to lose. I started self-censoring my work. That bugged me
Göktaş was detained at İstanbul Airport after returning from a trip abroad.
He was jailed.
A court approved his release, but prosecutors secured a new detention order before he could leave prison.
A court convicted him, sentenced him to just over 19 months in prison and ordered his release pending appeal.
- Detention
- July 2 at İstanbul Airport
- Time in jail
- 88 days
- Conviction date
- September 28
- Sentence
- Just over 19 months in prison
- YouTube views
- 15 million
- Stand-up special
- Ölü Deniz” (Dead Sea)
Sources
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