Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking on television today, proposed holding a referendum on amending the constitution which will guarantee the right for women to wear the Islamic headscarf in public services, schools and universities; although such an issue has not been raised in Turkey for years.
“If you have the courage, come, let’s put it to a referendum (…) Let the nation decide,” Turkey’s president said to the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who has proposes the introduction of a law that would guarantee the right to the Islamic headscarf.
The debate over the Islamic headscarf has been rekindled recently as the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections approach.
A country with a majority Muslim population, but with a constitution that enshrines the secular nature of the state, Turkey has for decades been a country where the Islamic headscarf was banned in public services, schools and universities, as well as in certain places such as parliament and the military areas.
Bans on the headscarf were introduced in 2013 by the Erdogan government.
Contrary to what happened in the 1990s, when the issue caused intense debates, no political movement is currently proposing to ban the headscarf in Turkey.
“We have made mistakes regarding the headscarf in the past (…) It is time to leave this issue behind so that it stops hanging on the lips of politicians,” Kemal Kilicdaroglu had said in early October.
According to political analysts, Kilicdaroglu wanted to show conservative AKP voters that they have nothing to fear in the event of a change in power.
Against this attempt by the opposition to win conservative votes, Erdogan responded in early October by calling on his political rival to amend the constitution.
“Is there discrimination against those covered or not covered today in public services? In schools; No. (…) We have achieved this,” Erdogan said today.
“Soon we will send the parliament the amendment of the constitution (…) But, if this cannot be resolved in the parliament, let’s put it to the approval of the people.”
Source: News Beast
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