Turkish Pop Star Released to House Arrest Following Outcry

Gulsen. Photo: Gulsen's Facebook Profile

"Imposing house arrest … does not comply with the law from our point of view," lawyer Emek Emre said in front of a courthouse in Istanbul. Emre added that they will ask the court to revaluate its decision, "and if possible, to abolish it".

An Istanbul court ordered Gulsen's arrest on Friday and sent her to prison claiming that she had "incited people to hatred and animosity" with a comment she made at a concert in April, when she called a religious high school graduate a pervert. She insisted in her testimony to the prosecutor that it had been a "joke between colleagues".

Gulsen's release came after many public figures criticized her imprisonment, including singers, intellectuals, politicians and the US State Department.

"Our legal system, which ignores those who corrupt, thieves, those who break the law and slaughter nature, those who kill animals, those who use religion for their own bigoted ideas and polarize the society, arrests Gulsen swiftly," iconic pop star Tarkan wrote on Friday. "This injustice to Gulsen must come to an end and Gulsen must be released immediately," he added.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party, on Saturday urged the government to "release the singer immediately," while Meral Aksener, the leader of the junior opposition Good Party, said that "everyone will taste imprisonment as long as this government continues to rule".

Around the world many also condemned the arrest, saying that Gulsen had been targeted for her liberal ideas and support for LGBT groups.

A US State Department spokesperson said on Saturday that the US remained concerned about widespread restrictions of expression in Turkey via censorship and...