1. Civil Society and Women
The Case of Headscarf Ban in Turkey

2. What can civil society organizations do for women?
Create an agenda for women’s problems

3. Why is the headscarf a problem?
Republican Ideology: Women as the symbol of secular modernization
The headscarf as a symbol of political Islam
Decision for the headscarf on February 28, 1997

4. Headscarf Causing Polarization
Polarization at the political level
Polarization among women
SO CAN CIVIL SOCIETY BE A SOLUTION?

5. Why is the headscarf a problem of democracy?
Because

6. Organizations in Concern
Type
Issues
ADD
(The Association for Kemalist Thinking)
Kemalist Secular
Kemalism, secularism, and nationalism
CKD
(The Association of Women of the Republic)
Gender, Kemalism, and secularism
IHD
(Human Rights Association)
Non-Kemalist Secular
Human rights, Kurdish Question
Ak-Der
(The Women’s Rights Association against Discrimination)
Islamic
Gender, education, and human rights
Ozgur-Der
(The Association for the Freedom of Thought and Educational Rights)
Education, gender, and human rights
Mazlum-Der
(Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed People)
Human rights

7. Organizations in Concern
Kemalist Secular
ADD (The Association for Kemalist Thinking)
CYDD (The Association for Support for Contemporary Living)
CKD (The Association of Women of the Republic)
Non-Kemalist Secular
IHD (Human Rights Association)
Islamic
Ak-Der (The Women’s Rights Association against
Discrimination)
Ozgur-Der (The Association for the Freedom of Thought and
Educational Rights)
Mazlum-Der (Association of Human Rights and
Solidarity for Oppressed People)

8. Modernity of the headscarf
ADD (Kemalist Secular Organization): Thus, if the style of covering the head was the look of a modern individual, if it was the same as what we see when we look at the clothes of cagdas (modern) countries that have an advanced level of civilization, we too would say “yes” to it. But how could ADD accept it as long as it is not so? It is impossible to say “yes” to it. CKD (Kemalist Secular Organization): The headscarf contradicts modern Enlightenment values of freedom from religion, and connected the headscarf with the fundamentalism of the Middle Ages

9. Modernity of the headscarf
Ozgur-Der (Islamic Organization): Modernization is achieved through education, so Kemalists assumed that as women became better educated, they would abandon their headscarves to look like “modern” women. However, when some women resisted their imposed modernization by demanding to wear the headscarf at universities, the Kemalists turned to different methods, such as banning it. Mazlum-Der (Islamic Organization): Prior to the 1980s, only republican elites could relate to the system, but the transition to a more liberal system encouraged people from different ethnic and religious groups to look for a way into the system.Kemalists feel threatened by educated women who wear the headscarf because they are the most visible symbol of this transformation.

10. The headscarf as a political symbol
ADD (Kemalist Secular Organization):Let’s bring ten women here. Let’s say that nine of them do not wear the headscarf and that one does. I cannot guess the political ideology of the nine women, but I would have no difficulty understanding that the political ideology of the other woman derives from the Sharia. CYDD (Kemalist Secular Organization): Turkish people are watching …..the so-called democrats who cannot see the danger of losing the gains of Republic, and the competition of a group of powerful men who are trying to gain sympathizers through the headscarf of women This proposal challenges the main values of the Republic.

11. The headscarf as a political symbol
Ak-Der (Islamic Organization): Defining the headscarf as a political symbol is merely an excuse for an incomprehensible ban that violates a basic right and it is impossible to talk about equality and freedom in a context in which women’s rights are restricted, as if what is in women’s mind can be read. Ozgur-Der (Islamic Organization): We wear the headscarf because it is God’s order I am not disturbed by the fact that it is a symbol Indeed, symbols are not forbidden at the universities. You go to the universities with your badges. They express your identity. Some people may want to express their identities. I mean, even the fact that you wear the headscarf only for political purposes cannot constitute a justification to ban it.

12. Headscarf as a violation of other women’s rights
ADD (Kemalist Secular Organization): Emphasized the possibility that the headscarf could be made mandatory for all women, and cited the Constitutional Court’s argument that the headscarf might violate women’s rights guaranteed by the constitution. Therefore, for ADD, the headscarf, which is both a political and religious symbol, should not be free in the name of so-called democracy. CKD (Kemalist Secular Organization): Argued that from the perspective of teachers who wear the headscarf, a student who does not wear the headscarf is not equal to a student who wears it.

13. Headscarf as a violation of other women’s rights: Neighborhood Pressure
Ozgur-Der (Islamic Organization): People who defend the ban are dishonest because they are conducting a campaign . . .with unrealistic fears such as “if the headscarf ban is removed, neighbourhood pressure would be put on the seculars”, which is a nonsense produced by the media

14. Headscarf as a violation of other women’s rights: Neighborhood Pressure
IHD (Non-Kemalist Secular): Because then it might be made obligatory rather than voluntary. From this perspective, it might be a serious threat If other people start feeling a pressure, a problem emerges there. A balance needs to be kept. To achieve this, a system that will guarantee the rights and freedoms for all should be established.

15. Headscarf as a violation of other women’s rights: Neighborhood Pressure
Ak-Der (Islamic Organization): The irrationality of arguments like “if the headscarf ban is removed, other students would be pressured” is evident to society. The argument that individuals who are at university level would not be able to use their own rights because of their classmates’ attire is very ambiguous.

16. Democratic nature of legal procedures regarding the ban
ADD (Kemalist Secular Organization): As no organ, ADD is superior to another, the parliamentary group that enjoys a numerical majority cannot be presented as the only representative of the nation. The independent judiciary, ADD argued, is another important representative of the national will, and the decisions of the Constitutional Court are binding for all institutions, including the legislation…. By proposing such a change, the government which claims to represent 47% of the ignored the wishes of the remaining
53%.

17. Democratic nature of legal procedures regarding the ban
IHD (Secular but not Kemalist Organization): Many circles might be satisfied with the decision. They might say that it is against the law but that its consequences are good Although this decision is in line with the ideological and political preferences of many of us, it is not appropriate in terms of human rights, freedoms, democracy, and the supremacy of law.

18. Democratic nature of legal procedures regarding the ban
Ak-Der (Islamic Organization): The Court’s decision ignored the will of the people, as expressed through the Parliament. Ak-Der sarcastically commented that there is no need for the people to elect representatives to the Parliament; rather, Turkey should be declared a state of judges. Ozgur-Der (Islamic Organization): Called the court’s decision unconstitutional and declared that despotism has reached such an extent that the Kemalist state not only ignores universal human rights and the necessities of being a state of law but also its own rules. For Ozgur-Der, this rejection was the system’s declaration of itself as a fascist dictatorship.

19. Conclusions
Do the organizations reduce the polarization and create an atmosphere of toleration and moderation? Kemalist Organizations Use of the discourse of democracy (rights and freedoms of those who do not wear the headscarf) Reproduction of official state ideology Equation of democracy with secularism Islamic Organizations Use of the discourse of democracy But not always (the case of Ozgur-Der) Non-Kemalist-Secular Organizations Not a unified understanding of secularism