An Istanbul prosecutor has called for a prison sentence for Turkish pop singer Mabel Matiz, arguing that lyrics in one of his songs contain explicit sexual descriptions, as a court adjourned the case to May 8.
The case against Matiz, whose real name is Fatih Karaca, centers on his song “Perperişan” and is being heard at Istanbul’s 54th Criminal Court of First Instance. At the third hearing on Friday, Karaca did not attend.
Presenting his opinion on the merits, the prosecutor requested that Karaca be convicted, arguing that the song’s lyrics include “depictions of sexual intercourse” and violate public morality. The court postponed the hearing to 11 a.m. on May 8 after defense lawyers asked for more time to respond.
The indictment, prepared following an investigation into the song, seeks a prison sentence of between six months and three years on charges of “facilitating the publication of obscene material.” It alleges that the lyrics “indirectly incite sexual desire” and contain “erotic connotations through physical and psychological metaphors,” including descriptions of sexual intercourse.
Prosecutors also argued that the expressions used in the song are easily understandable by the general public and that distributing the track without age restrictions poses a risk to children, who can access it freely on digital platforms.
At Friday’s hearing, lawyers for Turkey’s Ministry of Family and Social Services also argued in favor of punishment, saying it was “very clear” that the song contained sexual connotations and violated standards of decency.
In his written opinion, the prosecutor cited a Feb. 18, 2026 assessment by a government board tasked with protecting minors from harmful publications, which concluded that the song could negatively affect children’s development and best interests. The opinion reiterated that the lyrics create erotic associations through metaphors and include depictions of sexual intercourse that can be easily understood, while being available online without age restrictions.
During an earlier hearing, the judge had asked Karaca whether the song was written for a man, prompting the singer to respond in his defense statement that he found the question “sad and hurtful,” adding that “anyone can sing for anyone,” and suggesting such a question would not have been posed to an arabesque singer.
Karaca’s lawyers requested additional time to prepare their defense statements against the prosecutor’s opinion. The court granted the request and adjourned the proceedings until May 8.
