Istanbul,
Sep
2
(AP)
A
Turkish
pop-singer
could
face
up
to
three
years
in
prison
after
she
was
indicted
Friday
for
“inciting
hatred
and
enmity”
over
a
joke
she
made
about
religious
schools
in
the
country.
Singer-songwriter
Gulsen
was
jailed
last
week
but
was
released
four
days
later
and
placed
under
house
arrest.
The
charges
stem
from
a
joke
the
singer
made
during
a
concert
in
April,
when
she
quipped
that
one
of
her
musicians'
“perversion”
came
from
attending
a
religious
school.
A
video
of
the
singer's
comment
began
circulating
on
social
media
recently,
with
a
hashtag
calling
for
her
arrest.
Turkish
President
Recep
Tayyip
Erdogan
and
many
members
of
his
Islam-based
ruling
party
are
graduates
of
religious
schools
called
Imam
Hatip,
which
were
originally
established
to
train
imams.
The
48-page
indictment
has
702
complainants,
including
from
individuals,
a
pro-government
women's
rights
organisation
and
an
association
from
the
religious
school.
Turkey's
penal
code
criminalises
incitement
of
hatred
and
enmity
against
different
groups
in
society
based
on
class,
race,
religion
or
sect,
requiring
a
prison
sentence
in
cases
that
lead
to
threats
against
public
safety.
In
her
statement
to
the
police
included
in
the
indictment,
Gulsen
said
she
had
joked
with
a
band-member
whose
nickname
was
“imam”
but
who
had
not
attended
the
school.
“I
never
said
this
to
insult
or
denigrate
students
of
Imam
Hatips
or
a
segment
of
our
country.
My
respect
for
all
values
and
sensitivities
of
the
country
is
eternal,”
she
said
and
denied
the
charges.
The
46-year-old
singer,
whose
full
name
is
Gulsen
Colakoglu,
had
previously
become
a
target
in
Islamic
circles
due
to
her
revealing
stage
outfits
and
for
unfurling
an
LGBTQ
flag
at
a
concert.
A
court
has
to
approve
the
indictment
for
the
trial
to
begin.
A
request
by
Gulsen's
lawyer
for
her
to
be
released
from
house
arrest
was
rejected.
(AP)
NSA