During his questioning by prosecutors, comedian Deniz Göktaş was asked, one by one, about excerpts from his stand-up show Dead Sea (Ölü Deniz), based on a video analysis report, after being referred to the Criminal Judgeship of Peace with a request for his arrest on charges of "insulting the president" and "publicly denigrating the religious values embraced by a segment of society." Giving his statement in the presence of his defense lawyers, Göktaş described the jokes and remarks cited by prosecutors as "comedy" and denied both charges.
Göktaş was detained at Istanbul Airport on July 2 upon returning from abroad, pursuant to an arrest warrant issued by the Istanbul 9th Criminal Judgeship of Peace on June 25, 2026. He gave his statement accompanied by his lawyers, İrem Akyüz, Metin Sinan Aslan and Kudret Sıla Tatlı.
"I've been performing this show since 2023"
During his questioning, Göktaş said the video at the center of the investigation was a recording of his June 1, 2026, performance at the Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theater in Istanbul. He said the YouTube account that published the video belongs to him and that he personally uploaded it.
Göktaş said he had written the show's script in advance, adding: "I have been performing this show for about three years, since 2023, in various cities across Turkey."
"Fourth book" and "there's a problem with the translation" remarks
Göktaş was questioned about remarks he made during the show about holy books, including, "The fourth book is my favorite ... by far the best one, in my opinion," and "We said it was the last book, so they can just stop eating pork."
The comedian said people often assume he is not religious, whereas in that segment he was saying he liked the "fourth book." He described the remarks as a theological joke, saying he had told the same joke to about 100,000 people and had never intended to insult anyone.
Addressing his comment, "There's a problem with the translation," Göktaş said he was referring to the long-running public debate over different Turkish translations and interpretations of religious texts. "I'm saying it's my favorite book. I absolutely had no intention of offending anyone of faith," he said in his defense statement.
"Suicide bomber" joke
Göktaş was also questioned about a joke in which he said he was afraid of fasting "suicide bombers."
The comedian, who said he has a degree in psychology, told prosecutors that he approaches issues society fears through humor. "I made this joke based on the idea that people who are fasting may be more irritable because they go without food and water for long periods. It was intended as wordplay," he said.
Göktaş added that he had no intention of denigrating the Islamic faith in his defense statement.
"Divers" segment: "I'm criticizing those who judge women wearing burkinis, not the women themselves"
Göktaş was also questioned about a segment in which he referred to people swimming in burkinis using the phrase, "those fucking divers."
The comedian said that if the routine were considered in its entirety, it would show the exact opposite of what was being alleged. He argued that the segment criticizes people who look down on those wearing burkinis to the beach, not the burkini wearers themselves, and said he deliberately used the phrase "those fucking divers" as a misdirection to surprise the audience.
"I'm not criticizing people who wear burkinis. I'm criticizing those who judge people for wearing burkinis," Göktaş said in his defense statement.
Sacrifice holiday segment and "God might not exist" remark
Göktaş was also questioned about a segment in which he recounted a childhood memory of his grandfather slaughtering a sacrificial animal during Eid al-Adha and included the line, "Go tell them that God might not exist."
The comedian said the routine was "a joke about the experience of a child raised in a secular household encountering the Feast of Sacrifice," adding that he had no malicious intent behind the remarks.
Remarks about Erdoğan: "dictator," therapy and self-help
A significant portion of the questioning focused on remarks Göktaş made about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Asked about his line describing Erdoğan as part of a "transition to a dictator who is at peace with his own identity," Göktaş said: "The word 'dictator' is a political characterization. It is also a subject that is frequently debated in public. I had no intention of insulting or denigrating anyone."
The comedian said his remark, "Just be yourself, Tayyip. Break out of your shell," was a joke imagining that the president, like everyone else, watches self-help videos. He said his line, "I wish I were Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's therapist," was based on the idea that Erdoğan carries out a stressful job, adding that none of his remarks were intended as insults.
Göktaş was also questioned about a segment in which he appeared to treat a comment describing his show as "a FETÖ project" as though it were praise. He said the joke was simply a reference to the scale of the show's production.
He concluded his defense statement by saying: "I had no intention of denigrating any segment of society or insulting the president. There is nothing else in my show that could be interpreted in that way."
Lawyers' defense: "'Dictator' is a political characterization"
Göktaş's lawyers said they fully endorsed their client's statements and argued that the allegation of "insulting the president" rested on two main points.
They contended that the word "dictator" is a political characterization—like "authoritarian," "liberal," or "democrat"—and that using such a term to describe political leaders is legally permissible in a democratic society. The defense cited numerous rulings by the Criminal General Assembly of the Court of Cassation and the Court of Cassation's 4th Criminal Chamber in support of that argument.
The lawyers also argued that Göktaş's suggestion that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan should see a therapist was "nothing more than a simple joke," stressing that receiving therapy is not something "shameful, sinful or improper."
Addressing the charge of "publicly denigrating the religious values embraced by a segment of society," the lawyers noted that the offense is not among the offenses listed under Article 100(4) of Turkey's Code of Criminal Procedure for which pretrial detention may be ordered. They argued that Göktaş's remarks about the Quran referred to the 1,400-year-old debates over its translations and interpretations, adding that statements cannot constitute a crime merely because they are offensive or disturbing.
"No flight risk or possibility of tampering with evidence"
Göktaş's lawyers said the stand-up show has been performed 198 times since October 2023, including in the Turkish cities of Mersin, Adana, Artvin and Trabzon, and argued that none of those performances—or their aftermath—had prompted any public backlash against their client.
They maintained that the legal requirement for the offense—conduct capable of disturbing public peace—had not been met in this case. The lawyers also said Göktaş had returned to Turkey from abroad despite knowing he was under investigation, demonstrating that there was no risk he would flee.
Noting that the only evidence in the case is the video recording of the performance and that a transcript of it is already included in the case file, the defense argued there was no possibility of tampering with evidence. They said there was therefore no legal basis for Göktaş's pretrial detention and asked the court to release him.
