Stand-up comic held for jokes about Erdoğan and Islam in Turkey crackdown

high · BBC World · 3 Jul 2026 · 12:28 UTC · Censorship & Information Control · 1 min read

Summary

Stand-up comedian arrested for stage jokes critical of government leadership and religion exemplifies state censorship and political repression under authoritarian rule.

Deniz Göktaş is regarded as one of Turkey's most popular comedians and is accused of "inciting hatred and hostility" on stage.

political_repression free_speech_violation state_control authoritarian_governance artistic_freedom

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Stand-up comic held for jokes about Erdoğan and Islam in Turkey crackdown

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