ANKARA — Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday
proposed a nationwide vote on guaranteeing a woman’s right to wear a headscarf
in state institutions, schools, and universities.
اضافة اعلان
The subject is particularly important for devout
Muslim Erdogan, whose Islamic-rooted ruling party lifted a long-standing ban on
wear-ing the hijab in state institutions in 2013.
The headscarf issue has dominated political debate
in recent months ahead of general elections in 2023 that are set to be one of
the most serious challenges to Erdogan’s two-decade control of Turkey.
Erdogan often refers to the ban’s lifting as an
example of how his par-ty represents devout Muslim Turks against secular
parties that ruled Turkey before his party’s arrival in 2002.
“If you have the courage, come, let’s put this issue
to a referendum. ... Let the nation make the decision,” Erdogan said in remarks
aimed at main opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
Kilicdaroglu leads the secular CHP, a party
established by the founder of the secular modern Turkish republic, Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk.
The CHP leader had proposed a law to guarantee the
right to wear a headscarf to alleviate any fears his party would reinstate the
ban.
The headscarf was at the center of debates in the
1990s but no party today proposes a ban in Muslim-majority Turkey.
“We had made mistakes in the past regarding the
headscarf,” Kilicda-roglu admitted earlier this month. “It’s time to leave that
issue behind us.”
Kilicdaroglu seeks to show religious voters they
have nothing to fear from opting for his secular party next year, experts say.
In response, Erdogan proposed a constitutional
change that would “soon” be sent for approval to the parliament where his party
holds a small majority with his nationalist alliance partner.
But under Turkish law, changes require 400 lawmakers
to pass with-out a need for a referendum and so the CHP would need to give its
backing.
Otherwise, with 360 votes, a proposal can be put to
the people.
“If this issue cannot be resolved in parliament, we will
submit it to the people,” Erdogan said.
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