Comedian Tuba Ulu has been detained over her recent joke about the marriage of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and Hürrem Sultan.
İstanbul prosecutors, who linitiated an investigation into Ulu after her joke circulated on social media, accuse her of "insulting historical, national, and spiritual values."
The prosecutor's office also noted "obscene words" were publicly broadcast in the video.
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'Humor is not a crime'
The Women Comedians Initiative ciriticized to the detention of Ulu. The group released a statement titled "Humor Cannot Be Silenced!"
"Free comedian Tuba Ulu! We learned with sadness that comedian Tuba Ulu was detained for insulting historical, national, and spiritual values after being targeted by certain social media accounts for a joke.
"In recent years, we have seen comedians facing detentions and arrests after being targeted for their jokes. Humor is inherently critical, free, and a mirror of society. Subjecting a comedian to judicial processes due to stage expressions or humorous posts is a blow not only to freedom of expression, but also to the joy of art and life.
"In this period where women are trying to raise their voices in every field, we do not accept the attempt to silence a woman struggling to exist on stage because of her humor. We stand by Tuba Ulu and will follow the process. Humor is not a crime, Tuba Ulu is not alone!"
(EMK/VK)
