Court-jesting comedian convicted for Erdogan ‘insult,’ but freed pending appeal

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — An Istanbul court convicted a popular Turkish comedian on Monday of insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and another offense, but ordered his interim release pending appeal, an AFP reporter in the courtroom said.

Following a lively opening session in which Deniz Goktas, 32, offered a quick-witted defense that had much of the courtroom in stitches, the judge convicted him on two charges, sentencing him to just over 19 months in prison.

But until the sentence is finalized — which only happens after it is reviewed by an appeals court — the judge ordered his release.

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It was not immediately clear how long the process would take.

Known for his dry wit and political satire, Goktas has spent nearly three months in Karatepe high-security prison since his arrest on July 3, a week after a YouTube video of his “Dead Sea” show went viral, reaching nine million views.

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Goktas went on trial for insulting Erdogan, incitement to public hatred, and praising crime and criminals.

The judge convicted Goktas on the first charge.

He then amended the second charge to “insulting religious values” and convicted him of that too, while acquitting him on charge three, the correspondent said.

When the hearing opened, Goktas took to the stand to weave a defense rich in political satire, making witty observations that frequently had the courtroom in fits of laughter.

‘Can’t take a joke’

In the indictment, prosecutors singled out a line in which he called Erdogan “a shy dictator,” but Goktas insisted there was “no criminal element” there.

“Dictator is not an insult: it is a political characterization,” he said.

“As the president and leader of the party that has ruled the country for 25 years, a political comedy show in which Erdogan’s name is never mentioned would be neither sincere nor have any connection to reality,” he reasoned.

“Erdogan should be open to the art of satire,” he said, denying the charges against him.

None of Turkey’s most famous comedians or political satirists had been prosecuted in the past, when “these kinds of criticisms were received much more positively… by society and those in power than they are today,” Goktas continued.

“The laws protecting freedom of expression have not changed since that time. 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.”

Among the audience were several comedians from Istanbul’s TuzBiber comedy club — where Goktas reportedly began his career in 2019 — alongside observers from the Dutch and US embassies.

Humor, Goktas told the court, was a centuries-old part of Turkish culture, so there should be “no place for censorship, bans, or detention when it comes to artists on the stage.”

‘Makes me feel proud’

He asked to be acquitted and released.

“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, drawing laughter and loud applause as he left the stand.

Goktas’s arrest was the latest in a widening crackdown on anyone seen as critical of Turkey’s Islamo-conservative government or its values.

The crackdown has netted hundreds of people, including politicians, artists, musicians, journalists, and LGBTQ activists.

Outside in the pouring rain, around 50 protesters gathered, chanting: “Deniz Goktas is not alone!”

Among them was a student from Alanya near the southern resort city of Antalya whose appearance is strikingly similar to Goktas and who recently started doing stand-up.

“I am not afraid to do stand-up after his arrest. I will keep doing it,” 22-year-old Fatih Yilmaz told AFP.

“His arrest made me feel proud. His strong stance and the way he keeps making jokes from his prison cell keep me going.”

Turkish media said the Ankara-born comedian began his career at TuzBiber in Istanbul and has gone on to perform at venues across Europe and the United States.

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