Islamic headscarf in Turkey
The problems surrounding the wearing of the Islamic headscarf in Turkey can be resolved simply according to Devlet Bahceli, the leader of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).In a written statement issued Thursday, Bahceli said the headscarf problem could be ended through an amendment to the current constitution.
The amendment in question would be made to the fourth paragraph of article 10 of the constitution by adding a single sentence, said Bahceli.
This would avoid arousing political and social tensions, he said. “There is no prohibitory legal arrangement on the headscarf,” the MHP leader said. “The Constitutional Court’s decision made in 1989 is the central pillar of the dissenting opinions on the issue,” he said.
The court’s decision said that it was not acceptable for women to wear the Islamic headscarf while attending schools or universities, or while working in state positions.
Earlier Thursday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the failure to resolve the debate over women wearing the traditional Islamic headscarf was causing serious problems in terms of personal rights and freedoms.
ntvmsnbc.com
