Turkish authorities detain comedian over stand-up routine

Turkish authorities detained comedian Deniz Goktas on Thursday after viewers filed complaints that his stand-up routine insulted religious values. The show was recorded in Istanbul last month and uploaded to YouTube, where it received millions of views inside Turkey. The pro-government newspaper Sabah reported that dozens of viewers lodged complaints, prompting an investigation.

Background on expression cases Sabah and other media outlets published a photograph showing the comedian at the airport accompanied by a police officer. Authorities had earlier blocked access to excerpts of the show that included jokes about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Staff members at the satirical magazine Leman are currently on trial over a cartoon published last year that depicted the Prophet Mohammed and Moses. Another comedian, Tuba Ulu, was briefly detained earlier this year after a joke about Ottoman Sultan Suleiman.

Dozens of actors, singers, and influencers have also been detained in recent police operations related to alleged drug possession.