While those who support the ban on the grounds that it is a political symbol and hence should not be considered in the framework of religious freedoms claimed that Erdoğan made a “confession” about the headscarf being a political symbol -- thus supporting their arguments -- many opinion leaders supported Erdoğan, sharing his view that no matter how it is evaluated, such a ban is unacceptable. Milliyet columnist Hasan Cemal shares Erdoğan’s view. He explains that political symbols are a part of democratic life. “The freedom of expression, which is the main component of democracy, does not constitute only speeches, writings and drawings but also political symbols,” he says. Cemal also voices his regret that some issues in Turkey, such as the headscarf ban, the controversial Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), EU reforms, the Kurdish issue and the Armenian issue never drop from the agenda. “Always the same debates. I sometimes feel myself defeated. We constantly write and talk about these issues, but nothing changes,” he laments.
Bugün’s Ahmet Taşgetiren also agrees that even if the headscarf is regarded as a political symbol, it should not be banned at either universities or public buildings. He asks a simple question: “Is the political stance of the prime minister not obvious? Certainly, it is. Yet, he is the prime minister and administers the state. Is his political view an obstacle before his representation of the state? No, it is not. Nobody is against that. Then how can one oppose a headscarf-wearing woman being employed in the public sector on the ground that her headscarf is a political symbol? Is this not illogical?”
According to Zaman’s Mustafa Ünal, no matter how one evaluates it -- either as a political symbol or as a religious obligation -- the headscarf is an undeniable fact in Turkey. Recalling recent surveys that showed that almost 70 percent of the women wear headscarves in Turkey, Ünal thinks it is high time for Turkey to rid itself of the shame of barring headscarf-wearing girls from entering universities. Despite the general assumption among political parties that see the headscarf problem as a problem that only the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has to deal with, he notes that the opposition parties should also make a contribution to the settlement of this long-standing problem. “The headscarf issue no longer being a tool of daily politics will also eliminate its abuse by some,” he adds
