Turkey Moves to Allow Headscarves at Universities

An initial vote by Turkish lawmakers Thursday paved the way for an amendment to the country's secular constitution that would permit the donning of traditional Islamic headscarves by women students at Turkish universities. The core issue at stake involves Article 2 under Part One of Turkey's constitution, which says, "The Republic of Turkey is a democratic, secular and social state...loyal to the nationalism of Ataturk...."

The idea was first pushed in a significant way late last month by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose Islamic Justice and Development, or AK, party began working on a parliamentary bill that would reverse a government ban on headscarves for female students. The move came after the ruling Islamic party gained new strength in parliamentary elections late last year. Erdogan's party has been in power in parliament since winning parliamentary elections nearly six years ago.

The question of whether or not to allow the headscarves has been a hot button issue in Turkey, with secularists in and out of government claiming the ruling Islamic party is trying to force religion on the populace. Those in favor of allowing the headscarves argue that the current ban imposes a limit on the freedom of religious expression. More than 99 percent of Turkey's citizens are Muslim, according to the Central Intelligence Agency's World Fact Book, but the country has prided itself on being a modern secular nation. The Turkish military is regarded as the guarantor of the state's secular nature.

Massive protests have been staged in opposition to the proposed amendment, and a simmering conflict between the Islamic government and the military could come to a head soon. If the measure is challenged on the basis of its legality, there could be a showdown between the judiciary and the country's legislative body. Either prospect, a confrontation between the judiciary and the parliament, or between the military and the government, could destabilize Turkey and cause significant damage to the Turkish economy.

The key organization to watch, some analysts believe, is the military establishment, which has in the past, on more than one occasion, overthrown the government to defend the secular structure put in place by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Two members of the Turkish military are alleged to be involved in a recently uncovered plot to assassinate Prime Minister Erdogan.

Turkey is an ally of the United States and a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The United States views Turkey as a critical bridge between Europe and the Middle East.

Sources: CIA, Turkish Constitution