Deniz Goktaş, a Turkish comedian with millions of views on YouTube, was arrested upon his return to Istanbul for his jokes about the Quran.

The Turkish comedian Deniz Goktaş, 32 years old, was arrested on Thursday at Istanbul airport upon returning from abroad for 'denigrating religious values' through his jokes about the Quran. The arrest was ordered by the Turkish Prosecutor's Office, which opened an investigation after conservative sectors close to the government denounced fragments from a stand-up comedy show posted on YouTube, which went viral, garnering over 8.5 million views in just a week.

The comedian was accused of making offensive comments about Islam, referring to the four sacred texts as literary works. Goktaş also satirized President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, describing him as a politician who has evolved 'from a timid dictator to a dictator comfortable with his own identity.' His show also includes jokes about the imprisoned mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, an opponent of Erdogan. His arrest has sparked controversy among supporters of freedom of expression.