A Turkish court has lifted a decision to keep pop star Gulsen Bayraktar Colakoglu under house arrest after she was charged last month for “inciting hatred” over a joke she made on stage about religious schools.

The 46-year-old singer who is widely known by her first name, was briefly jailed last month on the charge, before being moved to house arrest several days later.

In April, Gulsen quipped that her guitarist had a “perversion”, and that it was linked to his upbringing in an Imam Hatip school.

Her comments were captured on a mobile phone and republished by a pro-government daily last month, causing an uproar in Erdogan’s ruling conservative Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in the run-up to next year’s general election.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been in power since becoming prime minister in 2003, studied in an Imam Hatip religious school, schools founded by the state to educate young men to be preachers.

The schools have become widespread, with graduates able to enter any field.

Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul