A Turkish court on Monday released pop star Gulsen from jail but placed her on house arrest as she awaits trial on charges of “inciting hatred and enmity” for a joke she made about Turkey’s religious schools.
Last week, the 46-year-old singer and songwriter, whose full name is Gulsen Colakoglu, was taken away from her home in Istanbul for questioning, ordered arrested and jailed pending a trial. Her arrest sparked outrage on social media and deepened concerns about the Turkish judiciary, whose independence has been questioned by opposition parties.
