VZCZCXRO6225
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
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DE RUEHAK #0350/01 0560945
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 250945Z FEB 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5336
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J-3/J-5//
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU//TCH//
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEUITH/TLO ANKARA TU
RUEHAK/USDAO ANKARA TU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000350 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY'S PRESIDENT APPROVES CONSTITUTIONAL 
AMENDMENTS TO LIFT HEADSCARF BAN 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 0320 
 
     ¶B. ANKARA 0244 
     ¶C. ANKARA 0222 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  Turkish President Abdullah Gul signed two 
constitutional amendments February 22, laying the groundwork 
for lifting Turkey's headscarf ban at universities. 
Opposition parties plan to file a challenge in the 
Constitutional Court on Wednesday.  Heated debate continues 
over whether Higher Education Council (YOK) law Article 17 
also requires amending to specify that headscarves, tied a 
particular way, may be worn on campus.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) With the media focused on Turkey's anti-PKK ground 
offensive into northern Iraq, President Gul signed two 
controversial constitutional amendments, pending since 
parliament approved them February 9, into law.  A number of 
columnists criticized Gul for 'slipping it through' in that 
manner.  The amendments to Articles 10 (equality before the 
law) and 42 (access to education) lay a constitutional 
foundation for lifting the beadscarf ban.  Fierce debate over 
whether allowing headscarves violates constitutional 
provisions protecting secularism preceded parliament's action 
(reftels).  President Gul, stating the reforms do not pose a 
threat to secularism, stressed the need to defuse concerns 
about the changes. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and 
Democratic Left Party (DSP) are expected to challenge the 
amendments in the Constitutional Court on February 27, 
arguing the amendments are not in line with the 
constitution's secularism requirements.  Baykal reportedly 
rejected a proposal by Turkish Union of Chambers and 
Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) President Rifat Kisarcikligolu to 
have AKP, MHP, CHP and DSP leaders agree to resolve the 
headscarf issue without amending the constitution.  Baykal 
told the press CHP would not bargain over the headscarf. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Debate now centers on whether to amend YOK Law 
Article 17 to specify headscarves may be worn on campus.  YOK 
Chairman Yusuk Ziya Ozcan recently stated such an amendment 
is not necessary for the constitutional amendments to take 
effect.  He sent rectors a directive February 23 clarifying 
covered students should be admitted so long as their faces 
remain visible; burqas or veils are not permitted.  The 
notice prompted Court of Appeals Honorary Chief Prosecutor 
Sabih Kanadoglu to accuse Ozcan, a Gul appointee, of 
committing a crime.  Kanadoglu urged rectors not to comply, 
maintaining the constitutional amendments alone were not 
sufficient to lift the ban. 
 
¶5. (SBU) YOK board members reportedly are divided over the 
issue, as are rectors.  Appointees of former President Sezer 
reportedly plan to release a statement disagreeing with 
Ozcan.  While Istanbul University Rector Mustafa Parlak said 
he will not permit covered students on campus until Article 
17 is revised, the Union of Education Workers (Egitim 
Bir-Sen) announced members will monitor campuses and file 
legal challenges against universities obstructing headscarved 
girls from entering.  Cukurova University Rector Alper 
Akinoglu said he plans to discuss the issue with legal 
advisors, adding the headscarf problem should be eliminated 
through consensus.  Uludag University Rector Mustafa 
Yurtkuran contends the constitutional amendments do not 
remove the legal hurdles to lifting the ban.  "For us, the 
headscarf is a political symbol and cannot be allowed at our 
university," he said. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Parliament's Constitution Committee Chairman Burhan 
Kuzu told the press it is up to universities and YOK to 
decide whether the amendments alone are sufficient to lift 
the ban.  Heeding President Gul's call to defuse tensions 
over the issue, AKP Whip Bekir Bozdag said his party is ready 
to consider proposals from CHP, DSP and NGOs, to include 
revisions to YOK law Article 17.  Bozdag said AKP may meet 
with far-right Nationalist Action Party (MHP) members this 
week.  MHP allied with AKP to push the amendments through 
parliament but balked when some AKP deputies argued no 
changes were needed to Article 17, contending AKP had reneged 
on their previous understanding to limit permissible 
headscarves to those tied under the chin. 
 
 
ANKARA 00000350  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) Milliyet daily played off the concern that lifting 
the ban at universities will open the way for public servants 
to cover by showing photos of a headscarved doctor at a 
training hospital in Istanbul and covered students entering 
an Istanbul high school. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey 
 
WILSON