Turkish singer Mabel Matiz appears in court

Turkish singer Mabel Matiz appeared before a judge for the first time in a criminal case filed over his song "Perperişan" on charges of "obscenity." During the trial, the judge asked Matiz, "Was this song written for a man?"

Mabel Matiz responded: "I find this question sad and heartbreaking. If an arabesque artist had said these words, the same question would probably not have been asked. Anyone can write for anyone. It is not right for me to draw the boundaries of this."

The indictment alleges that the lyrics of the song "Perperişan" indirectly encourage sexual desire, contain erotic appeals, and pose a "danger" to children. The prosecution demanded that Matiz be sentenced to between six months and three years in prison.

Responding to the judge's question about the meaning of some of the phrases in the song, Matiz stated that the work refers to folk literature and does not have an erotic meaning: "This song is a song from a folk song. 'Cici toy bebe' (red. cute baby) refers to an adult person. 'Quş' (red. bird) means fate in folk literature. There is no sexual meaning implied here."

Matiz's lawyer clearly stated in their speech that only the calls can be considered eroticism, but this does not mean that it constitutes a crime. They also drew attention to the fact that the questions asked in court were based on sexual orientation: "There are decisions of the Supreme Court that all forms of sexuality are natural. There is no material crime. Forcing the client to change his work under public pressure is a violation of artistic freedom."

The court ruled to send the case to the Ministry of Family and Social Services and to obtain an opinion from the "Protection of Minors from Harmful Publications" body. The next court hearing is scheduled for March 27.

Mabel Matiz's song "Perperişan" was targeted after complaints were made on CIMER (Republic of Turkey Presidency Communication Center). The Ministry of Family and Social Services demanded that the song be removed, claiming that it "could harm the family institution." The Ministry of Interior, in turn, filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office under Article 226 (obscenity) of the Turkish Penal Code. 

Mabel previously said, "I don't want to believe that society and public health can be so easily harmed by a song. I leave it to your conscience to decide where I stand on this story."

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