Turkish Comedian On Trial For Allegedly Insulting President Erdogan

Popular Turkish comedian Deniz Goktas appeared in court on Monday over allegations that he insulted President Recep Erdogan and committed other offences during a stand-up performance.

The 32-year-old comedian, known for his dry humour and political satire, used his appearance before the court to deliver a sharp and humorous defence that repeatedly drew laughter from those present.

Goktas was arrested on July 3, shortly after a video from his “Dead Sea” stand-up show went viral on YouTube, attracting about nine million views.

He is charged with insulting Erdogan, inciting public hatred and praising crime and criminals. Turkish media estimates that a conviction could result in a prison sentence of up to about 10 years.

Appearing at Istanbul’s Caglayan courthouse, Goktas told the court that satire should be tolerated by political leaders and rejected the allegations against him.

“Erdogan should be open to the art of satire,” he said, arguing that some of Turkey’s best-known comedians and political satirists had previously made similar criticisms without facing prosecution.

“In their time, these kinds of criticisms were received much more positively… by society and those in power than they are today,” he said, insisting that his jokes contained no criminal element.

“The laws protecting freedom of expression have not changed since that time. They are still the same. But today, a comedian is sitting in a cell.

“The joke hasn’t changed. What has changed is the increasingly fragile leadership that can no longer tolerate the joke.”

Goktas also described humour as an established part of Turkish culture, arguing that performers should not be subjected to restrictions for their work.

He said there should be “no place for censorship, bans or detention when it comes to artists on the stage”.

At the conclusion of his defence, Goktas denied the allegations and asked the court to acquit him and order his release.

“There is no risk of me fleeing. I came back to Turkey from abroad in the first place. Three months have been taken away from my life.

“I quit smoking, so I’ll add three months to the end of my life anyway,” he said, prompting laughter and loud applause as he concluded his testimony.

Goktas has spent 88 days in custody since his arrest and is being held at Karatepe high-security prison, located about 120 kilometres (75 miles) west of Istanbul.

His case comes amid a broader crackdown in Turkey targeting people viewed as critical of the country’s Islamo-conservative government and its values.

The campaign has affected hundreds of people, including politicians, journalists, artists, musicians and LGBTQ activists.

Several comedians from Istanbul’s TuzBiber comedy club, where Goktas reportedly started performing in 2019, attended the hearing. Representatives from the Dutch and the United States embassies were also present.

Outside the courthouse, about 50 protesters gathered in heavy rain while several dozen police officers monitored the demonstration.

The protesters chanted, “Denis Goktas is not alone!”, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene.

One demonstrator, retired worker Nesrin Demirkan, said she was angry over the comedian’s continued detention.

“I’m outraged that Deniz Goktas is being held in a well-type cell just because he did his job,” she told AFP, referring to the small cell reportedly lacking daylight and giving prisoners the sensation of being inside a deep well.

Born in Ankara, Goktas began his comedy career at TuzBiber in Istanbul before performing at venues across Europe and the United States, according to Turkish media.

AFP