(AFP) Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Friday approved constitutional amendments allowing women to wear Islamic headscarves at universities, defying objections that the move is an attack on secularism.
Gul also called on the government to take steps to dispel concerns over the impact of the amendment package and to give priority to rights reforms that will boost the country's aspiration to join the European Union, a statement from his office said.
The amendments, drawn up by the governing Islamist-rooted Justice and Development party (AKP), were adopted by an overwhelming parliamentary majority on February 9, as tens of thousands gathered in capital Ankara to protest against the move.
The president "did not find the amendments in contradiction with the general principles of law, the basic tenets of the republic and procedural rules governing constitutional amendments," a statement said.
"It is been understood that the amendments aim to strengthen the principle of equality before the law and the right to education by elucidating and confirming pre-existing clauses in the constitution," it added.
Secularist forces -- among them the army, the judiciary and academics -- see the headscarf as a symbol of defiance against the strict separation of state and religion in Muslim-majority Turkey.
They say easing the restriction in universities will put pressure on women to cover up and pave the way to lift a similar ban in secondary education and government offices.
Leading academics have warned there could be clashes on campuses and a boycott of classes by some female academics,
The secular main opposition party has threatened to take the amedments to the constitutional court on the grounds that they fall foul of the country's secular order.
Gul believes there is a "necessity to be understanding of the concerns of some of our citizens and to implement arrangements that will dispel these concerns," the presidential statement said.
"The president believes it is necessary to show the utmost sensitivity and care in alleviating these concerns," it added.
The government must also "accelerate arangements to strengthen other basic rights and liberties, and give priority to reforms required by European Union membership process," it said.
The AKP says the headscarf ban, which was imposed after the 1980 military coup, is a violation of the freedom of conscience and the right to education.
But many are wary of the party's roots in a banned Islamist movement and suspect it of having a secret agenda to introduce religious rule in Turkey.
Some have criticized the AKP of favouring its own grassroots at the expense of EU-demanded democracy reforms, underlining that it is yet to fulfill a months-long pledge to rid the penal code of an article that many say is an obstacle to free speech in the country.
The constitutional amendment package changes the code to read that the state will treat everyone equally when it provides services such as university courses and that no one can be barred from education for reasons not clearly laid down by law, an allusion to women who wear headscarves.
Some constitutional experts have warned that the amendments may not be enough on their own to allow Islamic headscarves in universities as the country's highest courts have upheld the ban on the grounds that no one can wear religious symbols to school.
The AKP has said it plans to amend the higher education law next to specifically say that nobody can be barred from education on account of their headscarf, but it is yet unclear when it will move ahead with the plan.
Gul also called on the government to take steps to dispel concerns over the impact of the amendment package and to give priority to rights reforms that will boost the country's aspiration to join the European Union, a statement from his office said.
The amendments, drawn up by the governing Islamist-rooted Justice and Development party (AKP), were adopted by an overwhelming parliamentary majority on February 9, as tens of thousands gathered in capital Ankara to protest against the move.
The president "did not find the amendments in contradiction with the general principles of law, the basic tenets of the republic and procedural rules governing constitutional amendments," a statement said.
"It is been understood that the amendments aim to strengthen the principle of equality before the law and the right to education by elucidating and confirming pre-existing clauses in the constitution," it added.
Secularist forces -- among them the army, the judiciary and academics -- see the headscarf as a symbol of defiance against the strict separation of state and religion in Muslim-majority Turkey.
They say easing the restriction in universities will put pressure on women to cover up and pave the way to lift a similar ban in secondary education and government offices.
Leading academics have warned there could be clashes on campuses and a boycott of classes by some female academics,
The secular main opposition party has threatened to take the amedments to the constitutional court on the grounds that they fall foul of the country's secular order.
Gul believes there is a "necessity to be understanding of the concerns of some of our citizens and to implement arrangements that will dispel these concerns," the presidential statement said.
"The president believes it is necessary to show the utmost sensitivity and care in alleviating these concerns," it added.
The government must also "accelerate arangements to strengthen other basic rights and liberties, and give priority to reforms required by European Union membership process," it said.
The AKP says the headscarf ban, which was imposed after the 1980 military coup, is a violation of the freedom of conscience and the right to education.
But many are wary of the party's roots in a banned Islamist movement and suspect it of having a secret agenda to introduce religious rule in Turkey.
Some have criticized the AKP of favouring its own grassroots at the expense of EU-demanded democracy reforms, underlining that it is yet to fulfill a months-long pledge to rid the penal code of an article that many say is an obstacle to free speech in the country.
The constitutional amendment package changes the code to read that the state will treat everyone equally when it provides services such as university courses and that no one can be barred from education for reasons not clearly laid down by law, an allusion to women who wear headscarves.
Some constitutional experts have warned that the amendments may not be enough on their own to allow Islamic headscarves in universities as the country's highest courts have upheld the ban on the grounds that no one can wear religious symbols to school.
The AKP has said it plans to amend the higher education law next to specifically say that nobody can be barred from education on account of their headscarf, but it is yet unclear when it will move ahead with the plan.
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