Turkish military calls off war on headscarves, beards
Headscarves have long been a symbol of the power struggle in Turkey between secular elites labeled as the "center" and a conservative segment labeled as the "periphery." The recent easing of this struggle and the trend toward normalization is be attributed mainly to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), which still is the most prominent representative of the center and softened its strict stance against headscarves. In a March 20 decision by the High Military Court, the TSK annulled its rigid practice of prohibiting first-degree relatives (spouse, children and parents) of TSK personnel from entering military premises, living quarters, military clubs and social facilities wearing headscarves.
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