Turkey: Turkish singer Gulsen has been arrested and accused of inciting hatred over a joke she made about religious schools.
In April, the singer joked a member of her band’s “perversion” was due to him having attended one.
Despite the comments being old, they recently went viral online, drawing criticism from conservative circles.
Critics say the arrest is a bid by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to consolidate support ahead of elections next year.
Before her detention, Gulsen – who is viewed as Turkey’s Madonna – had apologised on social media and suggested her words were seized upon by those who aim to “polarise society”.
Writing on Twitter and Instagram, the singer said that while she was “defending freedom of expression” with her “joke between colleagues” she apologised “to everyone who was offended”.
She is being held pending trial.
The singer, whose full name is Gulsen Colakoglu, has previously been criticised by conservative elements of Turkish society over her clothing and support for LGBT rights.
The 46-year-old’s arrest has split the country, with conservative and pro-government supporters widely describing her remarks as “insolence”, while more liberal and pro-opposition voices criticised her arrest as disproportionate and reactionary.
The move also comes amid ongoing discussions around the AKP’s alleged “interventions into lifestyles”, in addition to recent bans on a number of music festivals in the country.
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