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EXECUTION OF ORDER ALLOWING TO WEAR HEADSCARF IN UNIVERSITIES SUSPENDED
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.03.2008 14:19 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Council of State ordered a stay of execution
yesterday on the Higher Education Board's (YOK) order to universities
to allow the Islamic headscarf on campuses.
YOK President Yusuf Ozcan had sent a written statement to university
rectors on Feb. 24 in which he argued that the changes to articles
10 and 42 of the Constitution were sufficient to lift the headscarf
ban in universities without further need of legal regulations. His
action was immediately brought before the Council by some academics
and university professors' associations.
The Council of State ruled that Ozcan's written statement counted
as a circular and ordered a stay of execution by unanimous vote. The
circular is legally flawed and the YOK president is not entitled to
pass unilateral measures, the Council said.
Some rectors backed the ruling and asked for legal action against
Ozcan himself. Inonu University rector, Professor Fatih Hilmiolu,
said an inquiry should be launched into Ozcan's actions. Ankara
University rector, Professor Nusret Aras, stressed that Council's
decision is an unequivocal response to claims that constitutional
changes are sufficient to allow the headscarf in universities.
The government aimed to lift the ban on the headscarf in universities
by stressing equality in utilization of public services in Article
10 of the Constitution and by adding a phrase to Article 42 which
stipulates that no ban not specifically expressed by laws can impede
the right to higher education. Discussions abounded on whether any
specific law should be promulgated to lift the ban.
An overwhelming majority of rectors persisted that the ban remained
intact, a position in stark contrast with that of Ozcan who faced
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.03.2008 14:19 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Council of State ordered a stay of execution
yesterday on the Higher Education Board's (YOK) order to universities
to allow the Islamic headscarf on campuses.
YOK President Yusuf Ozcan had sent a written statement to university
rectors on Feb. 24 in which he argued that the changes to articles
10 and 42 of the Constitution were sufficient to lift the headscarf
ban in universities without further need of legal regulations. His
action was immediately brought before the Council by some academics
and university professors' associations.
The Council of State ruled that Ozcan's written statement counted
as a circular and ordered a stay of execution by unanimous vote. The
circular is legally flawed and the YOK president is not entitled to
pass unilateral measures, the Council said.
Some rectors backed the ruling and asked for legal action against
Ozcan himself. Inonu University rector, Professor Fatih Hilmiolu,
said an inquiry should be launched into Ozcan's actions. Ankara
University rector, Professor Nusret Aras, stressed that Council's
decision is an unequivocal response to claims that constitutional
changes are sufficient to allow the headscarf in universities.
The government aimed to lift the ban on the headscarf in universities
by stressing equality in utilization of public services in Article
10 of the Constitution and by adding a phrase to Article 42 which
stipulates that no ban not specifically expressed by laws can impede
the right to higher education. Discussions abounded on whether any
specific law should be promulgated to lift the ban.
An overwhelming majority of rectors persisted that the ban remained
intact, a position in stark contrast with that of Ozcan who faced