Turkish pop star Gulsen was arrested on Thursday after an Istanbul prosecutor opened an investigation into charges of “inciting people to hatred and enmity” following a remark she made on stage about religious schools, local media reported. Singer Gulsen Bayraktar Colakoglu – a 46-year-old known by her first name – was detained at her home in Istanbul and taken to court. A judge then kept her in jail pending an investigation into comments she made at a concert in April about Imam Hatip religious schools. An excerpt of the comments went viral and angered senior officials in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s conservative AKP Party this week. Gulsen is a household name in Turkey and her case has made headlines in the highly polarized country. The controversial comment saw Gulsen remark to an unidentified person on stage, in apparent jest, that his “perversion” was caused by his upbringing in an Imam Hatip school. “Targeting a fraction of society with allegations of ‘perversion’ and trying to divide Turkey is a hate crime and a shame to humanity,” AK Party spokesman Omer Celik said. Gulsen apologized on social media before her arrest. “An anecdote I shared with my colleagues with whom I have worked for many years … was presented and published by those who aim to polarize society,” he said. “I regret that my words gave material to malicious people who aim to polarize our country.” Gulsen’s lawyer, Emek Emre, vowed to appeal the star’s arrest and demand her immediate release. “Our client has committed no crime,” he told reporters. An excerpt of the comments went viral and angered senior figures in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s conservative AKP party this week [File: Burhan Ozbilici/AP]
Vote ahead
Erdogan and the ruling AKP Party will need a strong turnout from their core socially conservative voters to reverse a slide in the polls ahead of next June’s general election. The state-run Diyanet, or Directorate of Religious Affairs, has seen its budget and public influence grow in recent years, prompting accusations that Erdogan is using religion to boost his ratings ahead of hard-fought elections next year. Erdogan’s supporters say the moves are a reversal of anti-religious edicts issued by the AK Party’s fiercely secular predecessors in government. Critics say Erdogan has bent the courts in his will to crack down on dissent and free expression, charges the government denies. The Turkish opposition has seized on Gulsen’s case to bolster its support. CHP party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu called on Turkey’s youth on Thursday to get out and vote next year to save artists like Gulsen from prison. “I call on the youth – these unjust decisions will end,” Kilicdaroglu said in a social media post. “They are trying to rule this country by provoking and dividing you.” The late-night news of Gulsen’s arrest prompted some Fenerbahce fans to start singing one of her songs at a Europa League match in Istanbul against Austria Wien. Posts on social media showed a section of the packed stadium joining in the song in solidarity with the jailed star.
