Turkish Education Ministry refuses to allow headscarved teacher to return to job

ISTANBUL

The Education Ministry has objected to a Council of State decision that struck down the expulsion of a teacher from her profession for wearing a headscarf at school, daily Taraf has reported.

G.D., who taught religion courses at a secondary school in the Black Sea province of Samsun, was suspended from school 12 years ago for “violating the dress code and the peace and order of her institution by wearing headscarf in class with ideological purposes,” according to Taraf.

A discipline board decided to dismiss G.D. from the profession on Aug. 1, 2001. G.D. objected to the decision and filed a lawsuit at the Samsun Administrative Court, but her demand was refused by the court. The Council of State, however, approved the woman’s appeal on Nov. 12, 2012.

The Council of State canceled the decision of the local court, saying the “complainant’s presence in class with a headscarf did not violate the order and peace of the institution, while it could not be proved that the complainant [wore the headscarf] with ideological or political purposes.”

However, the Education Ministry asked the Council of State to cancel its decision in April, saying the complainant had violated the dress code while insisting her dismissal was in accordance with the law. The ministry also said it was not against the law to dismiss a teacher who does not comply with the dress code written in the Public Servants Law.