Macit Karaahmetoğlu, SPD Member of the German Federal Parliament, strongly reacted to the detention and arrest of stand-up artist Deniz Göktaş. Karaahmetoğlu stated that the events raised serious concerns regarding freedom of expression, the rule of law, and democratic values, and called for Göktaş's release.

Macit Karaahmetoğlu, SPD Member of the German Federal Parliament, issued a written statement regarding the detention and arrest of stand-up artist Deniz Göktaş, following his targeting in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Karaahmetoğlu described the ongoing process as "extremely alarming" in terms of freedom of expression, the rule of law, and democratic rights.

Karaahmetoğlu stated that, in addition to being a German MP, he has been following the developments with great sadness as someone intimately familiar with Turkey's humor culture.


"Unacceptable in terms of freedom of expression"

In his statement, Karaahmetoğlu also drew attention to the manner of Deniz Göktaş's detention, stating that the detention of a 32-year-old young artist, handcuffed from behind as if he had committed a serious crime, and his subsequent arrest, wounded the public conscience.

The SPD MP emphasized that this process is not merely an individual rights violation, and said that an unacceptable situation has emerged in terms of freedom of expression and the principles of the rule of law.


"Humor is an indispensable element of democratic societies"

Karaahmetoğlu stated that the mindset intolerant of criticism targets not only the opposition and the press but also the world of humor, and made the following assessment:

"Turkey's real problem is not artists; it is the mindset intolerant of criticism and the unjust order. Humor is an indispensable tool for criticism for the healthy functioning of democratic societies. The arrest of an artist for words spoken on stage is a fundamental violation of freedom of expression."


"Democracy is strengthened by freedom, not fear"

Karaahmetoğlu stated that suppressing critical thought and humor harms democracy, and noted that the duty of law is not to silence those who criticize the government, but to guarantee the fundamental rights and freedoms of all citizens.

Karaahmetoğlu reminded that Turkey, within the scope of its Council of Europe membership and European Union accession process, has an obligation to protect freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and called for the immediate release of Deniz Göktaş and an end to similar practices.

He concluded his statement with the words: "Turkey should be a country for those who can speak freely, not for those who fear criticism."