Court releases pop star from house arrest

ISTANBUL

A Turkish court lifted the decision to keep one of the country’s pop stars under house arrest over her remarks she made on stage about religious schools.

Gülşen Bayraktar Çolakoğlu, a 46-year-old singer who only uses her first name, was jailed last month on charges of “inciting hatred” by her comments.

A court moved her from jail to house arrest four days later.

In April, Gülşen quipped that her guitarist’s “perversion” was linked to his upbringing in such a school.

Her quip was captured on a mobile phone and republished last month, causing an uproar.

Gülşen issued a statement on social media, saying she was sorry her comments were being used to stoke further divisions in the sharply polarised country.

The first hearing of the trial is set for Oct. 21. If convicted, Gülşen faces up to three years in jail.