Gulsen, a Turkish musician, was detained and charged with inciting hatred after making a joke about religious schools. The singer made light of the “perversion” of one of her band members in April by joking that he had been to one.

Even though the statements were made years ago, they suddenly gained popularity online and came under fire from conservative groups. Critics claim that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the arrest in an effort to increase his support before the elections the following year. Gulsen, who is known as Turkey’s Madonna, apologised on social media before being detained and claimed people trying to “polarise society” had taken offence to her statements.

The singer apologised to “everyone who was hurt,” writing on Twitter and Instagram that she was “defending freedom of expression” with her “joke between coworkers” and that she “sincerely regrets any offence caused.” Until her trial, she is being detained.

President Erdogan attended one of the country’s first Imam Hatip religious schools, which were established by the state to train young men to become imams and speakers. President Erdogan’s AK Party first came to power about 20 years ago.

The institutions have also been attended by several other members of government.

The singer, whose real name is Gulsen Colakoglu, has previously faced criticism for her appearance and support of LGBT rights from traditional segments of Turkish society.

The 46-year-detention old’s has caused a rift in the nation. While conservative and pro-government supporters have largely criticised her statements as “insolence,” more liberal and pro-opposition voices have criticised her arrest as being excessive and reactionary.

The action coincides with current debates about the AKP’s purported “interventions into lives” as well as the recent countrywide bans on a number of music events.

Many Twitter users criticised Gulsen’s detention, and some compared it to the fact that a theologian who recently advocated killing people who don’t pray went unpunished.

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