Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Pop Singer Convicted Over Joke About Turkey's Religious Schools
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 2 years ago on
May 3, 2023

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A court in Istanbul on Wednesday handed Turkish pop singer Gulsen a 10-month suspended sentence after convicting her of “inciting hatred and enmity” over a joke about Turkey’s religious schools, the country’s state-run news agency reported.

The singer-songwriter was briefly jailed last year for the joke she made during a concert, when she quipped that the “perversion” of one of her musicians came from attending a religious school.

The 46-year-old singer, whose full name is Gulsen Colakoglu, was jailed for five days and later spent 15 days under house arrest despite having apologized for any offense she caused religious school graduates.

The court on Wednesday found her guilty of the charge and initially sentenced her to one year in prison, Anadolu Agency reported. The court later reduced the sentence, citing her “respectful stance” during the trial. Gulsen will face prison if she reoffends within the next five years.

There was no immediate comment from the singer.

Gulsen had vehemently rejected accusations that she aimed to “incite hatred” insisting that her comment “was a joke between two people.”

She had told the court in her defense that she had teased a band member who was nicknamed “Imam” but had not attended a religious school.

On Wednesday, lawyer Ziya Ilker Goktas reiterated that the comment was a joke and requested her acquittal insisting “there was no crime.”

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.

Turkey’s penal code criminalizes 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.

Gulsen was previously a target in Islamic circles for her revealing stage outfits and for unfurling an LGBTQ flag at a concert.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

Netanyahu Says Israel Accepts Witkoff’s New Gaza Truce Proposal, Media Report

Former MLB All-Star Breaks Ground on BMW/Porsche/Audi Dealership in Clovis

16 hours ago

Fresno, Clovis to Open Cooling Centers as Temperatures Expected to Soar

17 hours ago

Tulare County Man Convicted of Child Molestation During Burglary Faces Life Without Parole

A Tulare County jury has convicted a Porterville man of molesting a 4-year-old girl during a home burglary in 2020, prosecutors said Thursda...

15 hours ago

Serafin Narcisco, 44, of Porterville, was convicted on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, of molesting a 4-year-old girl during a 2020 home burglary. (Tulare County SO)
15 hours ago

Tulare County Man Convicted of Child Molestation During Burglary Faces Life Without Parole

15 hours ago

What Local Politicians, LGBT Community Say About Trans Track Star

A man accused of stealing a City of Fresno vehicle was arrested Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Madera County after a pursuit that sparked small fires and ended with a crash. (Madera County SO)
15 hours ago

Fresno Man Arrested After Stolen City Vehicle Pursuit, Fires in Madera County

16 hours ago

Former MLB All-Star Breaks Ground on BMW/Porsche/Audi Dealership in Clovis

17 hours ago

Fresno, Clovis to Open Cooling Centers as Temperatures Expected to Soar

17 hours ago

Costco Misses Quarterly Revenue Expectations Amid Reduced Consumer Spending

Tulare County sheriff’s detectives are investigating a double shooting in Goshen after two people were found wounded Thursday, May 29, 2025. (Tulare County SO)
17 hours ago

Tulare County Authorities Respond to Double Shooting in Goshen

17 hours ago

US Appeals Court Reinstates Trump Tariffs, Sowing Market Confusion

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend