Gülşen cancels concerts after row over remarks on religious schools

ISTANBUL

Famous pop singer Gülşen Bayraktar Çolakoğlu, who came under controversy and is facing trial on charges of “inciting hatred” over her remarks she made about “İmam Hatip” religious schools, has decided to cancel some 50 shows until the new year.

“She decided to take some rest and canceled all her concerts,” Haluk Şentürk, the 46-year-old singer’s agent, told Demirören News Agency on Sept. 15.

The singer’s lawyer, Emek Emre, also underlined that she took the decision herself.

“There is no legal compulsion to cancel the concert. She wanted it so,” Emre added.

Gülşen, famous with her first name on stage, was detained at home in Istanbul and taken to court on Aug. 25 over a comment she made about religious schools in a video that set social media abuzz.

A judge then sent her to jail pending an investigation into the remarks she made on stage in April that “İmam Hatip” religious schools are raising children to be Muslim preachers.

In her testimony at the police station before being jailed, Gülşen stated that the clip showing her making the comments was a misunderstanding as it was shot while she was joking with her colleague. “This was not a speech I made to participants of the concert or the media,” she said.

She also issued an apology on social media before her arrest.

After four days in prison, the high court ruled the release of the singer but put her under house arrest.

Last week, another court lifted her house arrest.