Turkey opposition trying to prevent headscarves in Parliament

Three female parliamentarians declare their intentions to wear headscarves following pilgrimage to Mecca.

By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON
woman head scarve turkey 370 (photo credit: REUTERS)
woman head scarve turkey 370
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Turkey’s opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has declared that it will work strongly to prevent three women from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) from wearing headscarves in parliament on Thursday.
“We will not let this happen. We will protect Parliament. We will protect Parliament’s traditions and stance,” the Turkish daily Today’s Zaman quoted CHP deputy chairman Faruk Logoglu as saying at a Monday press conference.
“The CHP will do whatever is necessary, using all the authority given by parliamentary bylaws,” he added.
Logoglu also told the paper that the culture of institutions must be respected and that “we will not let Parliament become the backyard of the ruling party.”
He vowed to oppose the practice “with every opportunity we have,” adding that the headscarf was “a symbol of a mind-set against secularism.”
According to the report, the three female parliamentarians – Denizli Deputy Nurcan Dalbudak, Kahramanmaras Deputy Sevde Beyazıt Kacar and Konya Deputy Gulay Samancı – announced their decision to wear the headscarves after performing the haj pilgrimage in Mecca this year.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that headscarves would be allowed in the public sector.