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Published: 11 November
2005
Strasbourg Court backs Turkey's headscarf
ban
By Stephen Castle in Brussels
The Independent
The European Court of Human Rights
has upheld Turkey's headscarf ban in public buildings - a victory
for Ankara's secularists after a long legal battle.
The court in Strasbourg confirmed an earlier ruling against Leyla
Sahin, 32, who was barred from sitting a university exam in 1998
because she wore a headscarf. The decision was a vindication of the
policies of a mainly Muslim country which imposes the ban to prevent
any religion being favoured.
The court ruled that Turkish law was consistent with the European
Convention on Human Rights and with the protection of women's rights
in general. It argued: "When examining the question of the Islamic
headscarf in the Turkish context, there had to be borne in mind the
impact which wearing such a symbol, which was presented or perceived
as a compulsory religious duty, may have on those who chose not to
wear it."
Limitations on the right to wear a
headscarf could be "regarded as meeting a pressing social need", the
court ruled. The decision has implications for many other legal
cases, and for other countries with headscarf bans, including
France.
Meanwhile, the Turkish government promised to tackle shortcomings in
its political and legal reforms after the European Commission said
its preparations to join the EU had lost momentum. Abdullah Gul, the
Foreign Minister, said: "Our government is determined to implement
the reforms, to deepen and strengthen democracy."
Source:
The Independent Online
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Court backs Turkey's headscarf ban 
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