Bulent Ersoy is a transsexual singer in Turkey. Ersoy was charged with "turning the people against military service" after making comments against a military campaign against Kurdish guerrillas in Turkey, but was acquitted of charges in December 2008.AlertNet:Turkish court acquits transsexual singer(December 19, 2008)
Trial
Ersoy was charged with "turning the people against military service" after making comments against a military campaign against Kurdish guerrillas in Turkey. The trial began in January 2008. Ersoy was acquitted in December 2008 because the court said she has the right to freedom of speech. She was 56 years old when acquitted. Ersoy said that if she had a son, she would tell him not to participate in military campaigns against Kurdish guerrillas. In Turkey, making insulting remarks about the government and its institutions is illegal.AlertNet:Turkish court acquits transsexual singer(December 19, 2008)
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Fast Facts
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Born
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First LP album came out in 1971Official Page: Diva Bulent Ersoy
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First performed in 1974 in IstanbulOfficial Page: Diva Bulent Ersoy
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Had a sex-change operation in 1981 to became a femaleOfficial Page: Diva Bulent Ersoy
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Sex change operations are forbidden in Turkey, and Ersoy went to London to have the surgeryOfficial Page: Diva Bulent Ersoy
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The same year as the surgery, the Turkish government prohibited her from performing in Turkey for 8 yearsOfficial Page: Diva Bulent Ersoy
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Avoided to speak publicly about the prohibition to perform in Turkey because "that's our inner political thing"Official Page: Diva Bulent Ersoy
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Returned to Turkey after 8 yearsOfficial Page: Diva Bulent Ersoy
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Was shot by a fan in 1989, lost a kidney as a resultOfficial Page: Diva Bulent Ersoy
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Has performed in New York, London, Paris, and other international citiesOfficial Page: Diva Bulent Ersoy
