(ISTANBUL) Istanbul 13th Criminal Court of First Instance sentenced comedian Tuba Ulu, who was tried with a request for a prison sentence of up to 3 years for her joke about Suleiman the Magnificent during a stand-up show, to 5 months in prison and postponed the announcement of the verdict.
Comedian Tuba Ulu was detained on the charge of "insulting historical, national and spiritual values" because of the joke she made about the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent through Hürrem Sultan during her stand-up show, and was released with a judicial control measure. After his release, Ulu made a statement on his social media account and apologized, stating that the words he used may have exceeded the limit. Ulu appeared before the judge at the third hearing held by the Istanbul 13th Criminal Court of First Instance within the scope of the case filed against him on the charge of "inciting the public to hatred and hostility".
Stating that he approaches women with positive discrimination, Ulu said in his defense: "As a woman who lives in Türkiye and struggles in every field, I do not accept this accusation. It is not possible for me to commit the crime in question. I have not committed such an action in my profession."
While the court sentenced Ulu to 5 months in prison, it postponed the announcement of the verdict.