6 February 2010 / SALİH TUNA YENİ ŞAFAK,
One is the wife of ailing thespian Nejat Uygur [Necla Uygur] and the other is the esteemed wife of the Turkish Republic’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan [Emine Erdoğan].
They met outside [the Gülhane Military Academy of Medicine (GATA) since Erdoğan’s wife was not allowed to enter the hospital because of her headscarf.] My eyes filled with tears when I imagined that. The same way I felt while I was watching a TV program on the ART channel in which female Tekel workers were participating. Those wearing headscarves and those who weren’t were arm in arm. They have been protesting for their rights on the streets for 50 days, yearning for their children. I was heartbroken watching those children speaking to their mothers. There was a little child, who has apparently learned to speak recently, who said, “Mum, when will you come back? I miss you” in a way that made me remember my mother. I cried. Nobody can tell me someone is using the Tekel workers because … this discourse reminds me of “they [headscarved women] are using the headscarf as a political symbol” a lot!
