After making himself known to Turkish audiences with his Candid Camera-style show, Zoka, he became hugely popular with his sketch comedy series, "Dikkat Şahan Çıkabilir", in which he portrayed many different characters.

After concluding the series on 2006 after two successful seasons on two different networks, he went on to shoot a late night talk show at NTV, named "Kime Diyorum Ben."

His sketches, especially from "Dikkat Şahan Çıkabilir" are still widely circulated and watched in YouTube and other social media platforms, achieving near-cult status in Turkey.

The main character of his record setting movie series, Recep İvedik, was also created for a short sketch in "Dikkat Şahan Çıkabilir."

During 2021 Turkey Wildfires, Gökbakar was very active both in the field and in social media, providing information from the ground and raising awareness about the importance of fire-fighting planes.

Recep İvedik, had according to Hürriyet Daily News reviewer Emrah Güler, enjoyed some moderate fame as the anti-hero in comedian Şahan Gökbakar’s sketch shows, generating a modest fan group on YouTube.