Turkey: Transsexual singer investigated for alienating public from army

Transsexual singer investigated for alienating public from army

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

An Istanbul prosecutor has launched an inquiry into statements made by Turkey's most popular transsexual singer for alienating the public from military service, a crime punishable by six months to two years in prison.

Bülent Ersoy, a juror in the reality show Popstar Alaturka that appears on Star TV, said in the show that was broadcast last Thursday that current wars were decided at tables and if she had been able to give birth, she would not send her son to fight in a war. “These wars are not like ones in the past. It is all decided by people sitting at tables and deciding that some boys should die. I am not a mother so I cannot relate to a mother's pain when she hears her son has died. But I am a human being,” said Ersoy.

Another juror, singer Ebru Gündeş, said she would be proud to be a soldier's mother and if it were the boy's destiny to die for his country, she would gladly pay that price.

“These are cliché words, but at the end of the day, boys go to the military and die and the tears follow. I don't agree with you,” said Ersoy.

The Bakırköy Prosecutor's Office launched an inquiry into Ersoy's statements and if it decides Ersoy violated the law, the singer will be charged. Prosecutor Ali Çakır will watch the show and decide whether to file charges. If found guilty, Ersoy could face up to two years in prison, a sentence that could be increased by one-third because the crime was committed via public medium.

The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK) has also decided to assess Ersoy's statements after receiving numerous complaints on its hotline. The board will assess what kind of measures should be taken and has contacted the executives of the television channel, who also noted their concerns and expressed that they were debating whether to discontinue with Ersoy as a juror.

Source - Turkish Daily News