Culture

Turkish standup comic detained after act calling Erdogan 'dictator' goes viral

Comedian Deniz Goktas’ arrest comes as Ankara intensifies prosecutions against opposition figures, journalists, artists and critics ahead of a major NATO summit.

Amberin Zaman

Jul 2, 2026

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A Turkish standup comedian whose latest routine called the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a “reticent dictator who grew into the role" was detained on Thursday at Istanbul's main airport on charges of insulting religious values, a crime punishable by between six months and one year in prison.

Deniz Goktas was handcuffed and taken into police custody after returning from an overseas trip, a move that critics say further highlights mounting repression under the famously thin-skinned Turkish leader who has ruled the country for 24 years. It remains unclear whether he will be formally charged and arrested or freed after interrogation at the Istanbul Security Branch Directorate, where he was transferred.

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