Turkish MPs held a heated debate on Wednesday on a proposal to allow women to wear Islamic headscarves in universities, a move that has pitted the Islamist-rooted government against secularist forces.
The proposal was tabled by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which argues that an existing ban on headscarves - imposed after a 1980 military coup - violates freedom of conscience and the right to education.
The move to overturn the ban has angered secularists, including the army, judiciary and academics, who see the headscarf as a symbol of defiance against the strict separation of state and religion, one of the founding principles of the 84-year-old republic.
Wednesday's session saw opposition and government lawmakers trading personal barbs and accusing each other of political opportunism, forcing the speaker to adjourn the session at least once.
The package "aims to render the principle of secularism ineffective," Hakki Suha Okay of the strictly secular main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), told the assembly. "This step will encourage radical (Islamic) circles in Turkey, accelerate movement towards a state founded on religion, lead to further demands" against the spirit of the republic, he said.
The CHP has already threatened to challenge the reform in court if its is adopted. The Democratic Society Party, the country's main Kurdish party, also opposed the reform, with MP Aysel Tugluk arguing that it would only "lead to chaos and more problems rather than solve any".
The proceedings were expected to last late into the night as lawmakers must vote separately on the two planned constitutional amendments in the package before voting on the reform in its entirety. The AKP has the backing of the opposition Nationalist Action Party and the two together have enough votes to secure the two-thirds majority of 367 votes in the 550-seat parliament to amend the constitution. Parliament will hold a final vote on the package Saturday before it is sent to President Abdullah Gul for approval.
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