Gulsen
Turkey: Pop singer Gulsen arrested over religious schools joke
Ankara: Prominent Turkish pop singer Gulsen has been arrested after she was accused of inciting hatred over a joke she made about religious schools.
In April, the singer joked a member of her band's "perversion" was due to him having attended one, reports BBC.
The comment was criticised in recent times by conservative circles after it went viral online.
Critics say the arrest is a bid by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to consolidate support ahead of elections next year, reports BBC.
Gulsen, before she was arrested, had apologised on social media and suggested her words were seized upon by those who aim to "polarise society".
Writing on Twitter and Instagram, the singer said that while she was "defending freedom of expression" with her "joke between colleagues" she apologised "to everyone who was offended", reports BBC.
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