Turkish parliament allows hijab at university

PanARMENIAN.Net - After a sometimes stormy debate, the Turkish parliament has approved a government motion to amend the constitution to allow women to wear hijab, the traditional Islamic headscarf while attending university.



The final vote was only taken early Thursday morning, after a marathon 13 hour debate, with 401 deputies supporting the motion and 110 opposed. However, the motion still has to face a second round of balloting, to be held on February 9, before it will clear the parliament and be forwarded to President Abdullah Gul for ratification.



The vote was to amend two articles of the constitution, dealing with equality before the law and the rights and duties of training and education.



During the debate, the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) accused the government and the far right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which supports the amendments, of working to undermine the secular principles of the Turkish republic.



CHP deputy Hakki Suha Okay said the amendments sought to make the principle of secularism ineffective and increase radical Islamic activity. "This step will encourage radical circles in Turkey, accelerate movement towards a state founded on religion, and lead to further demands," he said.



In defense of the motion, Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said the amendments would strengthen personal freedoms in Turkey and lifting the bans on wearing the headscarf at universities would remove concerns in society.



"Every freedom demand should not be associated with secularism. Such secularism would be an exploitation. This nation is the strongest guarantee for secularism," he said, NTV-turk repots