On Wednesday, the Turkish government ended the Muslim headscarf ban for female army officers. According to the BBC, this ban has been effective since the 1980s. The military was considered the final warden of secularism in Turkey’s constitution and is the final institution to lift the ban. The BBC reports that current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, regarded as Islamist-leaning, views the ban as archaic and “illiberal.” He has received criticism from secularists for pursuing religious policy changes. These critics see the headscarf as “a symbol of religious conservatism” and also cite the president’s move to shift all schools from secular to religious institutions as efforts to promote an Islamic agenda.

The BBC reports that current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, regarded as Islamist-leaning, views the ban as archaic and “illiberal.” He has received criticism from secularists for pursuing religious policy changes. These critics see the headscarf as “a symbol of religious conservatism” and also cite the president’s move to shift all schools from secular to religious institutions as efforts to promote an Islamic agenda.President Erdogan, leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is responding to his conservative supporters, who claimed to have been dismissed as “second-class citizens” for years before his administration. They argue that headscarves fall into the category of freedom of expression. Now, it is the secularists who feel ignored and who accuse the president of catering solely to conservatives.

President Erdogan, leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is responding to his conservative supporters, who claimed to have been dismissed as “second-class citizens” for years before his administration. They argue that headscarves fall into the category of freedom of expression. Now, it is the secularists who feel ignored and who accuse the president of catering solely to conservatives. The military’s opposition to government changes was weakened after a failed coup on July 15, 2016, after which President Erdogan and his supporters succeeded in increasing power over the military. This latest reform is a reassertion of the administration’s growing authority.

The military’s opposition to government changes was weakened after a failed coup on July 15, 2016, after which President Erdogan and his supporters succeeded in increasing power over the military. This latest reform is a reassertion of the administration’s growing authority.
Today, Turkish women can wear headscarves in schools, by the police, and in politics, according to The Guardian. Both the BBC and The Guardian confirm that updated headscarf rules address regular women military officers, non-commissioned officers and female cadets. Only plain, un-patterned headscarves are permitted, and they must match one’s uniform and be worn under her cap or beret. Though Turkey has been a secular state with no officially mandated religion since 1920, the divides between secularists and religious conservatives grow ever deeper.

Though Turkey has been a secular state with no officially mandated religion since 1920, the divides between secularists and religious conservatives grow ever deeper.