04 May 2023, Mumbai: According to the state-run news agency of Turkey, on Wednesday, a court in Istanbul sentenced popular Turkish pop singer Gulsen to 10 months of suspended imprisonment. She was found guilty of “inciting hatred and enmity” due to a joke she made about the religious schools of Turkey.
Last year, the singer-songwriter was imprisoned for a short period of time because of a joke she made at a concert. During her performance, she commented that one of her musicians’ “perversion” might have been caused by attending a religious school.
Despite apologising for any offence caused to religious school graduates, the 46-year-old singer Gulsen Colakoglu was imprisoned for five days and subsequently placed under house arrest for 15 days.
the court declared her guilty of the charges and imposed a one-year prison sentence. However, the court later decreased the punishment considering the singer’s “respectful stance” during the trial. Gulsen has been warned that she may face imprisonment if she commits a similar offence within the next five years.
The singer has not yet commented on the verdict. Despite vehemently denying accusations of intending to “incite hatred,” Gulsen was found guilty and sentenced to one year in prison, which was later reduced due to her respectful behaviour during the trial.
The singer had explained that her comment about a band member’s perversion was a joke between them and was not meant to offend. Her lawyer reiterated that there was no crime committed and requested her acquittal. Turkey’s penal code considers incitement of hatred and enmity against different societal groups as a criminal offence, which may result in a prison sentence in cases where public safety is threatened. Gulsen has previously faced criticism in Islamic circles for her revealing stage outfits and for displaying an LGBTQ flag during a concert.