In Turkey, opposition rejects president's proposal to hold referendum on right to wear headscarf

Turkey’s main opposition party and its election partner have rebuffed a proposal from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to hold a referendum on guaranteeing a woman’s right to wear a headscarf in public venues, according to Turkish media. Erdoğan [...] proposed a nationwide vote to guarantee a woman’s right to wear a headscarf in state institutions, schools and universities. “If you have the courage, let’s put this to a referendum. … Let the nation make the decision,” Erdoğan said in remarks directed to main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. The headscarf issue has dominated political debate since Kılıçdaroğlu proposed a law to guarantee the right to wear a headscarf to alleviate any fears his secular party would reinstate a ban which for long years remained in place, leading to widespread rights violations of headscarf-wearing women. However, Kılıçdaroğlu does not think holding a referendum on headscarf freedom is necessary as he accused Erdoğan of trying to act like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is notorious for putting human rights issues such as those related to LGBT people or refugees to a referendum.
Read the full article here: Turkish Minute