Pop singer Gülşen appears before court over 'religious schools joke'

Renowned pop singer Gülşen Bayraktar-Çolakoğlu appeared before the court today (October 21) for the first hearing of the case where she is charged with "provoking the people into hatred and hostility."

The singer widely known by her first name was prosecuted after a video showing her joking about the county's religious vocational schools (imam-hatip) began to circulate on social media in late August.

In the video excerpt from a concert she gave in April, she about a member of her band, calling him "a pervert because he is an imam-hatip graduate."

Prosecutors had opened an investigation against the singer after she was targeted on the pro-government media and social media because of her remarks.

At today's hearing, the prosecutor alleged that Gülşen had incited the public to harbor "feelings of hostility and hatred" towards the imam-hatips, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) reported.

Her actions posed "a clear and imminent danger to public security," according to the prosecutor.

Gülşen stated that the joke heard in the circulated video was only meant for her band member, there was no intention towards third parties and that she had already apologized as some people might still have been hurt.

Announcing its interim decision, the court ruled that Gülşen's international travel ban should continue.

(VK)