Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş faces trial for alleged insults to President Erdoğan

Deniz Göktaş, a popular Turkish satirist, appeared before an Istanbul court on Monday after being arrested for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a June performance. Authorities charged him with insulting the president, incitement to public hatred, and later added a count of praising crime, citing a joke about the Daltons organized-crime group. Since his July arrest, he has been held in pre-trial detention at Karatepe high-security prison and has posted occasional, wry updates on X. The trial attracted roughly 50 protesters with umbrellas outside the Çağlayan courthouse, as well as several dozen police and journalists, including fellow comedians from the TuzBiber club where Göktaş started his career.

Representatives from the Dutch embassy and the US consulate were also present. Media calculations suggest that a conviction on all counts could result in a sentence of ten years or more.