Investigation opened over photos of kindergarten children wearing bridal clothes, veils in mosque in Turkey’s Uşak

UŞAK

The provincial Directorate of Family and Social Policies has opened an investigation after photos emerged of kindergarten children wearing bridal clothes and veils in the Aegean province of Uşak, Doğan News Agency has reported. 

Photos of children aged between 4 and 5 wearing bridal clothes and veils stirred outrage among Turkish social media users after emerging on May 17.

The pictures, which were shared via the private kindergarten’s social media accounts, also included photos of young boys and girls standing behind an imam in a mosque.

After outrage from social media users and the announcement of the directorate’s investigation, the kindergarten closed its social media account. 

The kindergarten is reportedly tied to a religious association which has activities across Turkey.

Burak Yavaş, the provincial head of the Education and Science Workers’ Union’s (Eğitim-Sen), condemned the photos and said those who took the initiative “want to introduce a sharia order.”

Arif Güvenir, the local branch head of the Atatürkist Thought Association, also said he was saddened to see education being given to children “with the ideology of the mediaeval age.”

“Freedom to live Islamic beliefs according to everyone’s own conscience should also be taught according to changing mentalities. Children could become enemies with each other if you give some of them secular education and others religious education,” Güvenir added.