Stand-by comedian Goktas to be tried in Istanbul on charges of insulting religion

• Goktas will be tried in Istanbul on April 2, 2026, after a criminal investigation was launched over his remarks.
• The prosecution is seeking a sentence under Article 216 (3) of the Criminal Code for insulting religious values; the requested sentence is 185 days.
• The indictment states that, without any exception, he made statements that could be interpreted as insulting, and that the statements were made in a form that is not in any way justified.

The Istanbul court of first instance ordered the trial of comedian Deniz Goktas on charges of insulting religion. The trial is scheduled for April 2, 2026.

According to Anadolu, the comedian made remarks that were deemed insulting to religious values. Cumhurriyet reports that the indictment alleges that he made remarks that insulted religious beliefs.

As part of the case, the court will consider a video clip in which Goktas appears. The materials state that the short fragment of the video contains a statement that, according to the indictment, was made with the intention of insulting religious values. The prosecution claims that the statement was made without justification and that the comedian’s words could be perceived as offensive.

Prosecutors, as reported by Cumhurriyet, said that the indictment concerns 185 published comments. The indictment states that the comedian is charged under Article 216 (3) of the Turkish Criminal Code, which provides for liability for insulting religious values, and that the requested sentence is based on the number of comments.

The indictment also notes that Goktas will be tried in Istanbul on April 2, 2026 for making statements that allegedly insulted religious values. The prosecution argues that the remarks were made in a way that could be perceived as offensive and that they were not justified.

The investigation was triggered by comments from social media users, who said that Goktas’ remarks violated the law. The court will now consider the case and decide whether the comedian’s statements constitute a criminal offense.

Tags: Middle East/Politics/Crime/Culture