IHT.com – The Associated Press
Ankara, Turkey: A popular transsexual singer charged with illegally criticizing mandatory military service in Turkey appeared in court on Wednesday and defended herself.
In Turkey, defendants are not expected to enter a plea regarding the charges they face before a panel of judges hears testimony at a trial and returns a verdict.
Singer Bulent Ersoy of Turkey has admitted saying during a live television show that if she had children she would not want them to join the army to fight Kurdish rebels who are fighting for self-rule in parts of Turkey’s east and southeast, and in northern Iraq.