Pop singer Gülşen arrested over joke about religious schools
• Pro-government media and social media accounts began to circulate a video excerpt from an April 30 concert of Gülşen, where she jokingly called an "imam-hatip" graduate a "pervert"
• Senior government officials condemned Gülşen over her remarks
• Prosecutors quickly opened an investigation, with the singer being detained and brought to the courthouse. A judgeship ordered her arrest for "inciting the people into hatred and animosity"
• In her testimony, she said it was an "unfortunate joke" and demanded her release
• Gülşen has long been targeted by pro-government circles because of her support for LGBTI+ rights and stage costumes
Detained earlier because of her remarks about Türkiye's religious vocational schools, pop singer Gülşen Bayraktar-Çolakoğlu, widely known as Gülşen, was arrested late yesterday (August 26).
After taking her statement in an investigation for "inciting the people into hatred and animosity," the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office referred him to a judgeship, demanding her arrest.
The İstanbul 2nd Penal Judgeship of Peace ruled for her arrest, and the singer was sent to the Bakırköy Women's Prison.
The investigation against Gülşen concerns a video excerpt from a concert on April 30, where she jokes about the "imam-hatip" schools.
Pro-government media and social media accounts began circulating the video yesterday, which was quickly followed by an ex officio investigation by İstanbul prosecutors.
In the video, the singer is seen saying, "He had studied at a imam-hatip school before. This is where his perversion comes from," sparking laughter from the audience.
Gülşen frequently flies the rainbow flag at her concerts, which is one of the reasons she has been targeted by the pro-government media. The pro-government daily Sabah was one of the first outlets reporting on her resurfaced video yesterday. It tweeted, "Scandalous remarks targeting imam-hatips from Gülşen, who had drawn reactions by flying LGBT flags at her concerts and saying, 'Those who don't like this are free to leave'."
The apology and the testimony
It was not immediately clear whom the singer was talking about, but she explained it in an Instagram post while she was at the couthouse, and later in her statement at the prosecutor's office.
It was a "joke between colleagues," she wrote on Instagram. "A joke I made in the working environment was broadcast by people who aim to polarize society. I'm sorry that my words gave the ill-intenioned people who want to polarize our country what they wanted. I see that while I was defending freedom of expression, I was driven to the radical that I criticized. I apologize to everyone who was offended because of my statement in the video. I should have found another language, I will..."
In her testimony, Gülşen said she was talking about a member of her band, Miraç, who is nicknamed "imam." "Imam-hatip" schools are public vocational schools for training Muslim clerics.
"I have been an artist for 25 years. I have musician colleagues. I perform at concerts with this group. The nickname of my colleague named Miraç, a keyboard player in my team, is 'imam."
"Between friends, we make joke with each other, saying things like 'stupid, idiot, pervert.' Unfortunately, these two words [imam and pervert] came together. Our friend didn't study at an imam-hatip school.
The singer has long drawn ire from conservative circles because of her stage costumes and support for LGBTI+ rights.
Gülşen being escorted by officers at the courthouse:
Gülşen'in o cümleyi kurmasının sebebi tamamen şaka.
— fırat (@firatfstk) August 25, 2022
Arkasında çalan klavyeci Miraç adlı biri var ve lakabı imam. Ondan dolayı bu şakayı yapıyor ve bu yüzden tutuklamaya sevk edilmiş durumda.
Şaka gibi ama gerçek. https://t.co/GxrGgj2OSt
Government officials
Government officials criticized Gülşen over her remarks on social media yesterday.
Ömer Çelik, the spokesperson of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), tweeted yesterday, "Producing hate is not a branch of arts. Targeting a section of society with the claim of 'perversion' and trying to divide Türkiye is a hate crime."
President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş wrote, "It is unacceptable to the imam-hatip schools and their members. I strongly condemn this."
The Ministry of National Education announced in a written statement that it would take legal action against Gülşen.
Fenerbahçe fans chanting Gülşen's song "Love in the country, love in the world" (Yurtta aşk, cihanda aşk) during last night's Europe League game against Austria Wien:
Fenerbahçe tribünlerinden Gülşen şarkısı: "Yurtta aşk cihanda aşk"https://t.co/ALTP3MhRfH pic.twitter.com/43f7337MR7
— T24 (@t24comtr) August 25, 2022
Reactions from the opposition
Following Gülşen's arrest, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), claimed the government's purpose was to "set our youth against each other," using a jone "that went beyond its purpose."
He also recalled President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had called the Gezi Park protesters "sluts," asking the prosecutors and judges "Who said these to this sacred nation? Don't betray the law and justice, release the artist immediately!"
Özgür Özel, the deputy chair of the CHP parliamentary group, wrote, Gülşen's apology was enough to close the discussion, and "worda cannot be imprisoned in a democracy."
Ali Babacan, a former senior figure of Erdoğan's government who now leads the Democracy and Progress (DEVA) Party, also wrote, "Gülşen's words were offensive, she admitted this as well. No insults can be approved. However, the response to this should not be an arrest. The mentality that attacks someone who apologized with the stick of punishment is neither fair nor merciful." (VK)