"Turkish Secularism Faces New Challenges
By Annette Grossbongardt
Turkey has long been seen as role model for Islamic nations wanting to curb fundamentalism. But a recent attack on several Turkish judges has the country in turmoil. Turkish secularism hangs in the balance.
The young woman who stood at the entrance to the Bayrak Barracks in Ankara wore her long blonde hair uncovered. She introduced herself as the new director of the garrison's kindergarten. But when the soldiers took a look at her ID card, they hesitated. The woman in the photograph was wearing an Islamic headscarf -- and in the strictly secular state of Turkey, women are not allowed to cover their hair when they work in public posts. The guards denied the woman entrance and reported the incident to their superiors."
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