Turkish comedian Deniz Goktas detained at Istanbul airport
Turkish comedian Deniz Göktaş was detained at Istanbul Airport upon arrival from Germany. Authorities reportedly revoked her passport, citing an ongoing investigation into her social media posts that allegedly insulted Turkish officials and public morality.
Background
- Deniz Göktaş is a Turkish comedian and actress known for political satire, especially her viral character "Müzeyyen," a sharp-tongued older woman who comments on Turkish politics. Her sketches often target government policies and social taboos.
- Turkey has a well-documented record of prosecuting comedians, journalists and social media users under laws against "insulting the president," "inciting hatred" or "spreading terrorist propaganda." President Erdoğan has been in power since 2003, and his government has tightened controls on speech, especially after the 2016 coup attempt.
- Göktaş was detained at Istanbul Airport while about to board a flight to Britain — a common pattern of preventing government critics from leaving the country.
- The European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly found Turkey in violation of free-expression guarantees, but Turkish courts have not consistently complied.