Clothing ban removed at military facilities in Turkey
ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency
New dress code regulations pertaining to weddings held in the Turkish military’s social facilities and clubs came into force yesterday, effectively removing the ban on articles of clothing and accessories such as turbans, headscarves and beards.The new regulations set forth by the Ministry of Defense appeared in yesterday’s Official Gazette. The clause that prohibited visitors from wearing beards, religious robes, turbans, headscarves and “takkes” (religious cap) in officers’ clubs, military mess halls and social facilities was removed from the supplement on the special agreement conditions pertaining to marriage ceremonies held at such locations.
“Persons who arrive with articles of clothing that are not modern, such as beards, religious robes, turbans, headscarves and ‘takkes;’ persons who arrive with dirty, unironed clothing and without a clean shave, as well as foreigners cannot enter officers’ clubs,” the now-defunct clause used to read. The abolished clause did make an exception, however, for persons who grew a modest beard “due to their older age and in accordance with their religious beliefs,” as well as for old mothers wearing scarves that did not cover their faces.
