03.07.2026 20:41
It has been learned that the father of comedian Deniz Göktaş, who was arrested on charges of 'publicly insulting religious values' and 'insulting the president,' Kemal Göktaş, was active in the armed terrorist organization THKO in the 1980s, participated in the Çorum incidents, and was involved in the incident where Police Officer Muzaffer Yeşilyurt was martyred and Police Officer Mehmet Bektaş was injured and their weapons were seized in the Çorum city center.
It has been revealed that comedian Deniz Göktaş's father, Kemal Göktaş, was involved in the 1980 incident in which Police Officer Muzaffer Yeşilyurt was martyred and Police Officer Mehmet Bektaş was injured and their weapons were seized.
ARRESTED
Deniz Göktaş, against whom a ex officio investigation was launched due to the expressions he used in his stand-up show, was detained at Istanbul Airport upon his return from a trip abroad. After his procedures at the police station, Göktaş was referred to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, and the duty judge ordered his arrest on charges of "publicly denigrating religious values" and "insulting the President."
HIS FATHER WAS INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT WHERE THE POLICE OFFICER WAS MARTYRED
It has been learned that Deniz Göktaş's father, Kemal Göktaş, was active in the Turkish People's Liberation Army (THKO) armed terrorist organization in the 1980s, participated in the Çorum events in 1980, and was involved in "inciting and arming the public," "forcibly collecting money from the public to procure weapons for the organization," and the incident in Çorum city center where Police Officer Muzaffer Yeşilyurt was martyred, Police Officer Mehmet Bektaş was injured, and their weapons were seized.
RELEASED IN 1988, SENTENCED TO AGGRAVATED LIFE IMPRISONMENT IN 1997
It has been learned that Göktaş was subsequently caught with weapons and ammunition, taken into custody, and referred to the Martial Law Command, where he was arrested by the judicial authorities and then released in 1988.
Later, a case was filed against Kemal Göktaş at the Ankara 1st State Security Court for membership in the TDKP/GKB terrorist organization and distributing their leaflets, and it has been learned that he was sentenced to 3 years and 9 months of aggravated imprisonment in 1997.
HIS STATEMENTS ABOUT HIS FATHER DREW ATTENTION
Meanwhile, in the stand-up show that is the subject of the investigation, Göktaş made the following statements about his father: "I grew up in a home where being an intellectual was highly praised. In our home, an intellectual, an intellectual in prison, an intellectual in exile, a dead intellectual. Love and respect increase from bottom to top. If you're dead, you have a poster at home; if you're in prison, you are talked about at least once a day. I was also very excited—I don't need to do journalism, I don't need to write a book; I thought I'd be the first intellectual by talking about water coolers on YouTube. During protest periods, I get messages saying, 'Deniz abi, I saw you at the square, you're very brave.' This makes me feel very hypocritical. Because I have deceived that person. Because going to a protest is nothing; we all go. The truly brave thing for me is not going to the protest. My father kept calling from Ankara, 'I watched all the protest videos; you're not in any of them. What are you doing at home, lying down? They even detained soap opera actors; why haven't they detained you? Are you a collaborator?' Dad, I'm doing my best. Last week, 'dictator' was said in Trabzon; let's see these things too, Dad."