Turkish comedian Deniz Goktas has defended his use of political satire in court after spending 88 days in custody over jokes made during a stand-up performance about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The 32-year-old comedian appeared before a court in Istanbul on Monday, facing charges of insulting Erdogan, inciting public hatred and praising crime and criminals.
Goktas was arrested on July 3, about a week after a video from his “Dead Sea” stand-up show went viral on YouTube, reportedly attracting nine million views.
If convicted, he could face about 10 years in prison, according to Turkish media estimates.
During his defence at the Caglayan courthouse, Goktas denied the allegations and argued that political satire had long been part of Turkish culture.
“Erdogan should be open to the art of satire,” he said, adding that Turkey’s well-known comedians and political satirists had previously been able to make similar criticisms without prosecution.
Goktas said the laws protecting freedom of expression had not changed, but argued that their application to comedians had.
“The joke hasn’t changed. What has changed is the increasingly fragile leadership that can no longer tolerate the joke,” he said.
He also rejected suggestions that his performance contained criminal elements and called for artists to be protected from censorship, bans and detention.
Goktas asked the court to acquit him and order his release, saying he had no intention of fleeing Turkey.
“I came back to Turkey from abroad in the first place. Three months have been taken away from my life,” he said.
He also joked that quitting smoking would help compensate for the time lost, prompting laughter and applause in the courtroom.
Goktas’s arrest has drawn support from fellow comedians and protesters, with about 50 people gathering outside the courthouse during Monday’s hearing. They chanted in support of the comedian as police officers stood nearby.
Members of Istanbul’s TuzBiber comedy club, where Goktas reportedly began performing in 2019, attended the hearing, alongside observers from the Dutch and United States embassies.
Goktas is being held at Karatepe high-security prison, about 120 kilometres west of Istanbul.
The comedian, who was born in Ankara, has performed at venues across Europe and the United States.
His case comes amid a wider crackdown in Turkey that critics say has targeted people seen as critical of the government, including politicians, artists, musicians, journalists and LGBTQ activists.
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