JINHA

BURSA – Three residents of Bursa, Turkey, who have been issued prison sentences for dancing "ideologically" on World Peace Day in 2013, received their notices of summons yesterday. One of them will go to prison with her 11-month-old child.

On September 1, 2013, celebrated in Turkey as World Peace Day, 16 people who participated in a line dance to Kurdish music at a peace rally have been charged with dancing "ideologically." The charge alleges that the Kurdish guerrilla group the PKK ordered the group to dance at the rally. The court decided on sentences ranging between 10 months to one year for those who participated in the dance. Two of those sentenced will be going to prison with their small children.

Most of those charged have appealed the case, but Sevgi Polat, who will be going to prison with her 11-month-old baby, did not join in the appeal. She was now received a summons to produce herself within ten days.

(gc/cm)