- Turkish comedian Deniz Goktas has been jailed pending trial on charges of insulting President Tayyip Erdogan and religious values, following an investigation into remarks made during a stand-up performance.
- Goktas was detained at Istanbul Airport upon his return to Turkey on Thursday, after prosecutors initiated an inquiry into content he shared on social media.
- The investigation focuses on allegations that Goktas insulted religious values during a stand-up show in Istanbul on June 1, where he made references to President Erdogan, the Koran, and jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
- The comedian's performance rapidly went viral online, garnering over nine million views on YouTube and spreading extensively across platforms like X and Instagram.
- In his statement to police, Goktas denied the charges, stating his jokes were not an insult to religious values or the Koran, and clarified that his description of Erdogan as a 'dictator' was a political definition.
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