Turkey’s Gul OKs scarves
The president of Turkey approved a pair of constitutional amendments Friday that would allow female students to wear Islamic head scarves at universities.
The legislation, which has exposed the deep gap between the Islamic-rooted government and the military-led secular establishment, is expected to face a legal challenge.
Turkey’s parliament, dominated by members of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted party, voted 411 to 103 on Feb. 9 to approve two amendments. The changes required the approval of President Abdullah Gul, an observant Muslim whose wife and daughter wear head scarves. Currently, female students must remove their scarves at campus entrances.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
