Pre-Referendum moves: “Turkey permits women soldiers to wear headscarf…

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Turkey Allows Women in Military to Wear Hijabs, in Cultural Shift

 NYT > Turkey by By PATRICK KINGSLEY

The move highlights a change in the armed forces and society, where the head scarf has been a symbol of the struggle between secular and religious factions.

Turkey permits women soldiers to wear headscarf

 

Women soldiers in Turkey will now be able to wear a headscarf as part of their uniforms, according to a new regulation prepared by the Defense Ministry to expand the scope of previous rulings on the much-debated issue

Turkish PM repeats claim that terror groups support ‘no’ campaign

Terror groups are together orchestrating a “No” campaign for the upcoming referendum on constitutional changes in Turkey, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has repeated, following earlier controversial claims linking the “No” campaign to terrorism

Power will be gathered in one person to avoid strife: Erdoğan

 

The government-supported constitutional amendment will concentrate power in one pair of hands “to avoid strife,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, appealing to voters from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) as the referendum campaign gathered momentum

Erdogan’s mastery of polarization

open Democracy News Analysis – by Caglar Ezikoglu

 

The Turkish President’s populist leadership draws on the perennially useful Black Turks-White Turks dichotomy.

President Erdogan speaks to his supporters, Istanbul, July 16, 2016.Depo/Press Association. All rights reserved.Turkey is set for a tough referendum campaign period as parties take to the stage to persuade the electorate to vote “yes” or “no” for the April 16 referendum about a new presidential system. President Erdoğan also stated that the referendum should be seen as a “response” to the 15 July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, claiming that “the position of those who will say ‘no’ in the referendum could mean siding with July 15.”

Anti-tobacco posters, brochures saying ‘no’ to smoking recalled over concerns of ‘confusion’ in referendum

An anti-tobacco initiative by the Health Ministry in the Central Anatolian province of Konya has been halted by officials after declaring that the message reading “NO” on pamphlets, brochures and posters to discourage smoking could lead people to vote “no” in an upcoming amendment referendum.

Opposition MHP dissidents launch ‘No’ campaign in Turkey’s referendum

 

Opposed to Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli’s strong support for the government-supported constitutional change shifting Turkey to an executive presidential system, dissident voices within the MHP have launched a “No” campaign at a congress in Ankara on Feb. 18

I’ll return to AKP if ‘yes’ votes prevail in referendum: President Erdoğan

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he will return to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) if the “yes” side prevails in the upcoming referendum that will decide whether the current parliamentary system should be shifted to an executive presidency.

Related posts:

1. The Guardian piece on Asli Erdogan…
2. November snap poll announced while “Civilian entry blocked in 127 eastern Turkish zones since early June…
3. Despite more transparency claims “Turkey falls behind in global corruption index…
4. The spectre of #BerkinElvan is haunting the AKP rule. Police threatening with machine guns!
5. It is time, Turkish politicians head to Washington over worries about Armenian resolution…

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