Turkish actress Deniz Çakır, who is under investigation for allegedly insulting a group of young women wearing headscarves at a mall, has denied the allegations, the Diken news website reported on Friday.
After questioning by a prosecutor at the İstanbul Courthouse, Çakır gave a statement to journalists as she left in which she categorically denied the accusations and said she had submitted video footage of the incident to the prosecutor’s office.
“I have never discriminated against people on the basis of their gender, clothing, lifestyle, faith or color. On the contrary, I have always taken part in social projects aimed at uniting people. My stance on issues is obvious and the allegations contradict that,” Çakır said.
Çakır was involved in an argument with a group of university students while at a café at Zorlu Mall in İstanbul.
Several women along with another woman claiming to be an eyewitness to the incident spoke to the pro-government Sabah daily suggesting that Çakır had verbally abused them over their headscarves and told them to move to Saudi Arabia.
Upon their criminal complaint, an investigation was launched into the actress, who was also harshly targeted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“To suggest that the veiled young women of this country should move to Saudi Arabia is the most miserable form of fascism,” Erdoğan had claimed.
The prosecutor also accused Çakır of provoking hatred among the people.