Turkish ruling Justice Party fails to keep promises on Hijab

A political analyst tells Press TV that Turkish Muslim women expect from the Islamists Justice Party in power to do something against the ban of hijab because they promised that after they won the election they will remove this ban.

The comments came after more than 12 million Turkish citizens signed a petition to lift a controversial ban imposed by the Ankara government on wearing headscarves in public places. Several protests have been held across the country and civil disobedience has been part of the union’s move to force the government to lift the controversial ban.

Press TV has conducted an interview with Nazieha Saleh, social researcher, to further discuss the issue. What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Let’s look at significance of this. Now millions of signatures have been collected as many of the Turkish people try to get a change in this law. How likely are they going to be successful and why are we seeing such a surge in the demand for being able to wear headscarves?

Saleh: As we know the ban on hijab has been active since 1923 since Ataturk era and reactivated in 1979 and the irony of the situation now that the Islamists Justice Party in power now did not do anything about removing this ban because they promised the Turkish people that after they won the election they will remove this ban, so Muslim women were expecting from this party to do something against this ban.

But unfortunately nothing has been done by this party, by this government so that is why Turkish women they made a step forward to remind the government here in power, remind those people in power that they are Islamists and they came because they are Islamists.

So who elect them are these women who are wearing the hijab. So that is why women in Turkey now I think they will not stop their movement until they do something, until the government will do something about this ban.

Press TV: Why are we seeing such a surge in demand now as you said this is a law that has been in effect since the early of 20th century but more and more we are seeing a greater demand. Why are we seeing such a greater demand by the Turkish women in order to be able to adhere to hijab now?

Saleh: No they had a lot of movement and I know a lot of friends, they went to prison, they took them to prison. Even now during the Islamists era they went to prison because they make their voice loud out. So they talked, they said where is your promise? You promised us something about Islam here, so where are you now? Why aren’t you removing this ban?

Women in Turkey they cannot go to universities. They cannot teach at public schools. Only rich people they can educate their children because only the private Islamic school they can, girls with veil can go in. Others they have to travel.

Press TV: There are probably many people who perhaps did not know about the story, probably quite surprised in understanding that 90 percent of the population in Turkey is Muslim and yet a basic rule of Islam is totally basically illegal to abide by this basic rule. Do you think a change is on the horizon for Turkey?

Saleh: Yes, it must be. Yes it must, it is a must. And I know when I talked to my friends over there they said they will not stop their movement until they change this law because as you said the population is more than 90 percent the Muslims and what is making the government so slow in changing this law?

When they talk to the government, one of them she told me they talked to Erdogan in person. He said okay, wait we will change, but when? When are you going to change?