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Turkish comedian Deniz Goktas is under criminal investigation by Istanbul prosecutors after his stand-up show 'Dead Deniz' went viral on social media, gaining millions of views in just a few days.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office began investigating Goktas for 'insulting religious values' after his performance drew widespread attention. Goktas is currently on holiday abroad and has not come back to Türkiye.
Goktas performed the show at the Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theater and later uploaded it to his YouTube channel.
The video got 5.8 million views in four days and quickly became a trending topic on social media in Türkiye.
The show covered a range of topics beyond religion, including political figures and media personalities such as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
As public attention intensified, Goktas became the target of criticism over jokes made during the performance, which some viewers said mocked the Holy Quran.
After the controversy, Goktas spoke about the situation in a social media post.
He said he had traveled abroad to join friends after finishing his tour and editing work and that the trip had been planned for a long time. In his post, he wrote:
"Hello everyone, just as I imagined all year, the moment my tour and edit were done, I came on holiday with 3 t-shirts and 3 boxers to be with my friends. I don't know if traveling is something to be ashamed of, but those sharing it like an intelligence report will also see that on June 22, I paid a significant compulsory military service fee. I will be in the country for many years … If there is a situation that requires me to be in Türkiye, I will return on the first flight—the t-shirt count is the real challenge."
Goktas said he would return to Türkiye quickly if needed.
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