Turkish court frees comedian Deniz Göktaş after 88 days in jail

September 28, 2026 at 10:27 AM2 min

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A Turkish court on Monday ordered the release of comedian Deniz Göktaş after 88 days in pre-trial detention. The Istanbul court convicted him of insulting the president and inciting hatred, sentencing him to 11 months 20 days and 7 months 15 days respectively, while acquitting him of praising crime. Göktaş walked free from prison in the evening, greeted by family and supporters.

Key Facts

Deniz Göktaş was released from prison on Monday after 88 days in pre-trial detention.
The Istanbul 14th Criminal Court of First Instance convicted Göktaş of insulting the president, sentencing him to 11 months 20 days in prison.
The court also convicted him of inciting hatred and hostility, imposing a sentence of 7 months 15 days.
Göktaş was acquitted of the charge of praising crime and criminals.
The hearing was moved from the Istanbul 14th Criminal Court of First Instance to the Istanbul 4th High Criminal Court due to capacity constraints.

Verdict and Release

The court announced its verdict at 14:35 local time, ordering Göktaş's release alongside the convictions. Göktaş was acquitted of the charge of praising crime and criminals, which had been added after his initial arrest. The prosecutor had requested both conviction and release for Göktaş on charges of insulting the president, inciting hatred, and praising crime. Göktaş left prison in the evening and was met by family, friends, and supporters.

Defense and Complaints

In his defense, Göktaş stated that 185 complaints were filed against him via CİMER, Turkey's presidential communications center. He said 184 of the complaints began on June 27, following a social media post by a troll account. Göktaş claimed most complaints were based on manipulated 30-40 second clips rather than the original YouTube recording. He noted that an Instagram account with 100,000 followers, opened in the name of Kadir Mısıroğlu, encouraged followers to report him to CİMER.

Post-Release Remarks

Upon his release, Göktaş expressed happiness at reuniting with his family but mentioned detained colleagues Sinem Dedetaş and Mehmet Pehlivan. He said his dream had been for the three of them to travel to Istanbul together in one car, but that did not happen. Göktaş also referred to Oğuzhan Uğur, saying he still does not know the charges against him despite watching the news. He stated that thousands of people in Turkey are detained or convicted for their opinions, and expressed hope for collective freedom.