justice
Turkish pop singer Gülşen in custody
The Adalet Saray courthouse in Istanbul. photo
© Mehmet Guzel/AP/dpa
She joked about Imam Hatip schools in Turkey. Now the well-known Turkish pop singer Gülşen has to answer to the judiciary. The accusation: incitement to hatred and hostility.
Prominent Turkish pop singer Gülşen has been arrested for joking about religious educational institutions. According to Turkish media reports, the 46-year-old is being held in custody on charges of inciting hatred and hostility.
According to a report by the state news agency Anadolu, her lawyer announced that he would lodge a complaint. The arrest is unlawful.
Gülşen Bayraktar Çolakoğlu – that’s his full name – had already jokingly told a colleague at a concert in April that his “perversity” was due to his time at an Imam Hatip school. The video quickly made the rounds on social media. She has since apologized. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also attended such a school.
The Imam Hatip schools focus on religious subjects – the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed have priority in the classroom. Originally, such schools served to train imams. Opposition parties and other artists demanded Gülşen’s release.