Comedian Deniz Göktaş sends a letter from prison

Deniz Göktaş has made his voice heard for the first time from the prison in Tekirdağ Çorlu, following his arrest after his stand-up show titled 'Ölü Deniz' (Dead Sea), which he published on YouTube, became a trending topic. In his letter, which was shared via the social media platform X, Göktaş wrote about his experiences with a humorous tone.

Göktaş, who has been frequently discussed in the media and by the public following the accusations directed at him, stated in his letter that he is in good spirits, and that at times he might say "I'm fine" just to maintain that cheerfulness. Sending a message to his supporters with the phrase, "In that situation, I'll put a winking emoji," Göktaş described his prison life with nostalgic jokes.

Stating that he has started watching television again for a while and is using a squat toilet, Göktaş shared his impressions of his days in detention with the words, "I returned to my childhood while watching the World Cup, but there is no fat Ronaldo, it doesn't give the same taste." Explaining that commercials ruin the pleasure of watching television, the comedian took a humorous approach to his situation by saying, "I feel like writing a petition to the canteen to request AdBlock."

FOLLOWING HIS EXPERIENCES IN DETENTION...

Göktaş stated that he reacted to the police wanting to use handcuffs behind his back despite his voluntary surrender, and described his brief resistance with the following words:

"As you know, even though I turned myself in voluntarily, they wanted to handcuff me behind my back. I said I did not consent. They did it by using force. My glorious resistance lasted about 4 seconds. The police were twice my size, what can I do? Then, someone at the police station must have said, 'well, actually, it's for creating content for social media'; my videos were taken with handcuffs behind my back, like the unpleasantness of an influencer who says 'friends, don't ruin it for a second' and takes a photo of the table just as you are about to eat at a restaurant; from the front, from the back, from the side. Since I somehow managed to find the cameraman and grin in all of them, they were only able to publish the long-distance rear angle."

Furthermore, criticizing the physical conditions of the police station and the working conditions of the staff in a humorous way, Göktaş drew attention to the situation of the officers working in the hot environment.

Stating that he is moving on a line between humor and reality in his letter, Göktaş emphasized social support by saying, "The public understood me, and I got into trouble."

FAMILY AND MESSAGE OF SUPPORT

While mentioning that his family has stood by him under all circumstances, Göktaş expressed their love and protectiveness with these sentences:

"They are both my dear friends who have never pressured me about anything as long as I can remember, have never had expectations of me, and have hung even my stick-figure drawings on the wall. They are as protective and anxious as every mother and father. Even after my first Harbiye show in 2023, they are people who have built their son up in their eyes to the level of the cliché, 'I wish you were a psychologist, you could do stand-up in your spare time'; and 'Can't you do it in English abroad?'. Even if they didn't agree, they stood behind all my absurd decisions, I know it's the same for this show, I kiss them both in your presence."

In his letter, Göktaş also shared the different experiences that time spent in prison conditions added to his life and his gratitude, stating that he is trying to keep his morale high by thanking those who showed solidarity with him. Emphasizing that he has never pursued his stand-up shows and sense of humor with a feeling of bravery or expectation of a return, Göktaş expressed his satisfaction with the opportunity to meet many people during his 7-year stage career.

Stating that he has focused on reading books during his days in prison, and is particularly determined to finish 'Moby Dick', Göktaş concluded his letter with well wishes for his supporters.