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Turkish MPs voting on headscarfs Turkey moves to headscarves vote
(about 13 hours later)
The Turkish parliament is meeting for the first round of voting on a proposal to allow girls to wear the Islamic headscarf in universities. Turkey's parliament has approved a move for a final vote on a government proposal to ease the ban on women wearing headscarves in universities.
The scarf, seen as a symbol of political Islam in Turkey, was banned from campuses almost two decades ago. Scarves were banned from campuses when the military seized power in 1980 to defend against the perceived encroachment of Islam into politics.
The government now argues that law deprives thousands of an education, but its plan to change the law has sparked large protest rallies by secular Turks. Wednesday's vote was carried by 397 in favour to 113 against, Ankara's Anatolia News Agency reported.
They fear it may be a first step to eroding the secular system in Turkey. A final vote on the measure is scheduled for Saturday.
Changing face of Turkey Court threat
In this mainly Muslim, but strictly secular, country the Islamic headscarf is banned from universities as a subversive political symbol. In Wednesday's heated debate, Bekir Bozdag, deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said the amendment bill would strengthen Turkey's characteristic principle of secularism.
As two-thirds of all Turkish women cover their heads, that does mean thousands miss out on college. "Giving equal right to education to every citizen is not against the state of law and democracy," he said.
Many Turks agree that is unfair. Some women refuse to go to university because of the ban
The problem is the leaders of the current government once espoused political Islam and Turkey's powerful secular establishment doesn't trust them. "Isn't secularism the guarantee for everyone who wants to benefit from the equal right to education?"
They fear that lifting the headscarf ban is just the first of many steps to bring Islam into public life here, slowly changing the face of modern Turkey and putting pressure on those who do not cover up to do so. But Hakki Suha Okay, a member of the strictly secular main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said the package "aims to render the principle of secularism ineffective".
The government does have the backing of another party in parliament for its proposal, though it is likely to become law after a second voter later this week. "This step will encourage radical [Islamic] circles in Turkey, accelerate movement towards a state founded on religion, lead to further demands" against the spirit of the republic, he said.
But Turkey's main opposition party has already vowed to contest that in the constitutional court, insisting it is a threat to the secular system. As Turkey's population is predominantly Muslim, two-thirds of all Turkish women cover their heads, meaning thousands miss out on the opportunity to attend college.
Many Turks argue that is unfair.
The government wants to allow traditional scarves tied under the chin, although more enveloping versions would still be banned.
But the government's plan to change the law has sparked large protest rallies by secular Turks.
They fear it may be a first step to eroding the secular system.
With the backing of a nationalist opposition party, the government has enough votes to change the constitution and relax the ban.
But if it does, the CHP has vowed to challenge the amendment in the constitutional court.
The problem, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul, is that the leaders of the current government once espoused political Islam and Turkey's powerful secular establishment does not trust them.
They fear that lifting the headscarf ban is just the first of many steps to bring Islam into public life here, slowly changing the face of modern Turkey and putting pressure on those who do not cover up to do so, our correspondent says.