CHP submits draft law on use of headscarf in public sphere

ANKARA

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) submitted the bill on “Not Subjecting Women to Any Coercion Except for Dressing within the Scope of the Execution of Their Profession” to the parliament on Oct. 4 which will cover freedom to dressing in the public sphere including the headscarf, a long-lasting historical problem between the conservative and secular groups.

“Women, who are employed in public institutions and organizations and who perform a profession in connection with professional organizations in the nature of public institutions and their superior organizations, cannot be subjected to any coercion in a way that violates fundamental rights and freedoms, such as wearing or not wearing clothes other than those they must wear within the scope of the performance of their profession such as gowns, aprons, uniforms, etc.,” said the law proposal.

“The Turkish people suffered most from polarization and discrimination. For the first time in our republican history we are experiencing such a deep polarization. If we look to the future all together as a nation then we should end this discrimination,” CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu told his parliamentary group on Oct. 4.

Kılıçdaroğlu said his party will submit a law that will guarantee the wearing of headscarves in the public sphere in a bid to end some politicians’ exploiting the matter. “We have so many open wounds. Those who want to bleed these wounds are politicians who want to keep their seats,” he said.

“We are coming to power to heal all these open wounds,” he said. “Türkiye will reconcile internally and will make peace with the outer world.”

In 2013, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) brought a solution to headscarf use in public through a regulation.