Turkey has blocked access to X posts carrying clips from comedian Deniz Göktaş’s viral comedy show “Ölü Deniz,” citing threats to national security and public order after a ruling party figure accused him of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish media reported.
The posts, taken from Göktaş’s show released on YouTube on June 24, were made inaccessible to users in Turkey by X under Article 8/A of Law No. 5651, the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD) announced.
Article 8/A allows Turkish authorities to order the removal of online content or block access in urgent cases linked to national security, public order, the prevention of crime, public health or the protection of life and property.
Göktaş recorded “Ölü Deniz” on June 1 at the Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theater in İstanbul and uploaded it to YouTube for free viewing.
The 90-minute show passed 2 million views within days and became a topic of debate for jokes about Erdoğan, İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, jailed politicians, street protests in İstanbul and a court order that annulled the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s 2023 congress.
İmamoğlu, seen as Erdoğan’s main political rival, has been jailed since March 2025 on corruption charges his party says are politically motivated.
The access ban followed criticism from Şamil Tayyar, a former member of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) top decision-making body, who accused Göktaş of insulting Erdoğan and argued that the remarks should not be treated as humor.
No official statement explaining why clips from a comedy show were considered a threat to national security or public order had been issued as of Friday.
The decision adds to Turkey’s use of online content restrictions against political speech.