PM supports CHP’s initiative on headscarf
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Kasım 26, 2008 00:00
ANKARA - The realization that different beliefs and dress styles exist in Turkey is a good development, says Erdoğan, before praising the opposition CHP’s leader Baykal. There could be some negative reactions to Baykal’s initiative, but he should remain firm, notes PM Erdoğan
As repercussions over the main opposition party’s headscarf move continue, the Prime Minister yesterday gave his support to the initiative.
In his party’s parliamentary group meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave support to Baykal’s headscarf initiative. Baykal, the leader of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, recently came under fire from secularists for allowing covered women to register in the party.
"Those [in the CHP] who could not fully understand Turkey, have now begun to understand the realities of Turkey in all it parts. This is a good development," Erdoğan said.
"There are elections on March 29, but it is a good development to present his party’s gesture to women wearing headscarves. They have realized that different beliefs and different dress styles exist in this country."
Erdoğan also said there could be some negative reactions to Baykal’s recent headscarf initiative, but he should remain firm. He said, "If he continues to exhibit the same stance, many problems in this country could be solved faster and more easily."
Baykal, on the other hand, defended his party’s headscarf initiative, saying the move was not against secularism. "We acted totally in line with ethical and human values. We could not ask those who turned their face from the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, to the CHP to remove their headscarf once they joined our party. If I did so, I would not then be a democrat," Baykal said.
Baykal said their fight was not with the veil but the mentality behind it and that those who joined the party did not wear their headscarves as political symbols, but were disturbed with AKP policies. "What the CHP did was not a contradiction to secularism, but in line with the principles of social democracy. What is new and good in this picture is people have begun to leave the AKP. The CHP has a problem with the mentality behind the approach of others, our approach will be better understood in the future," he said.
CHP eyes religious sects
Meanwhile, after the much-criticized move to allow headscarf-wearing women to join the party, the main opposition party is now preparing more moves to accommodate religious sects who are upset with the ruling party’s policies.
Prior to the upcoming local elections in March 2009, the CHP plans to cooperate with powerful religious sects in the country, while being faithful to the party’s basic principles, reported daily Hurriyet yesterday. The dissatisfaction with the policies of the ruling AKP will be at the core of this cooperation.
"It is not possible for our party to establish a systematic relationship with religious sects. But in domestic politics such solidarity may take place. The candidate of a party, for instance, can be from a specific religious sect and a rival religious sect may vote for another party as a reaction. Such things are normal," said CHP General Secretary Mustafa Özyürek.
Some surveys conducted by the party have revealed that some local religious sects are disappointed by the AKP’s policies and recent corruption claims burdening the party.
Gürsel Tekin of the CHP, considered the architect of the CHP’s headscarf move, said deviation within the AKP created controversy among religious sects. Many religious sect members sought a safe harbor and that could be with the CHP.
"A member of a religious sect complained about the AKP’s deviation from its line, stating most of his work colleagues now have luxury cars and their wives wore very expensive headscarves, while their life standards remained the same. Our party seeks votes from those who share the same opinion," Tekin said.
In his party’s parliamentary group meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave support to Baykal’s headscarf initiative. Baykal, the leader of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, recently came under fire from secularists for allowing covered women to register in the party.
"Those [in the CHP] who could not fully understand Turkey, have now begun to understand the realities of Turkey in all it parts. This is a good development," Erdoğan said.
"There are elections on March 29, but it is a good development to present his party’s gesture to women wearing headscarves. They have realized that different beliefs and different dress styles exist in this country."
Erdoğan also said there could be some negative reactions to Baykal’s recent headscarf initiative, but he should remain firm. He said, "If he continues to exhibit the same stance, many problems in this country could be solved faster and more easily."
Baykal, on the other hand, defended his party’s headscarf initiative, saying the move was not against secularism. "We acted totally in line with ethical and human values. We could not ask those who turned their face from the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, to the CHP to remove their headscarf once they joined our party. If I did so, I would not then be a democrat," Baykal said.
Baykal said their fight was not with the veil but the mentality behind it and that those who joined the party did not wear their headscarves as political symbols, but were disturbed with AKP policies. "What the CHP did was not a contradiction to secularism, but in line with the principles of social democracy. What is new and good in this picture is people have begun to leave the AKP. The CHP has a problem with the mentality behind the approach of others, our approach will be better understood in the future," he said.
CHP eyes religious sects
Meanwhile, after the much-criticized move to allow headscarf-wearing women to join the party, the main opposition party is now preparing more moves to accommodate religious sects who are upset with the ruling party’s policies.
Prior to the upcoming local elections in March 2009, the CHP plans to cooperate with powerful religious sects in the country, while being faithful to the party’s basic principles, reported daily Hurriyet yesterday. The dissatisfaction with the policies of the ruling AKP will be at the core of this cooperation.
"It is not possible for our party to establish a systematic relationship with religious sects. But in domestic politics such solidarity may take place. The candidate of a party, for instance, can be from a specific religious sect and a rival religious sect may vote for another party as a reaction. Such things are normal," said CHP General Secretary Mustafa Özyürek.
Some surveys conducted by the party have revealed that some local religious sects are disappointed by the AKP’s policies and recent corruption claims burdening the party.
Gürsel Tekin of the CHP, considered the architect of the CHP’s headscarf move, said deviation within the AKP created controversy among religious sects. Many religious sect members sought a safe harbor and that could be with the CHP.
"A member of a religious sect complained about the AKP’s deviation from its line, stating most of his work colleagues now have luxury cars and their wives wore very expensive headscarves, while their life standards remained the same. Our party seeks votes from those who share the same opinion," Tekin said.