Turkish armed forces can now don the hijab in the army

Published February 23rd, 2017 - 05:00 GMT
A group of women holds a banner as Pro-Erdogan protesters wave Turkish flags. (AFP/File)
A group of women holds a banner as Pro-Erdogan protesters wave Turkish flags. (AFP/File)

Female members of Turkey's armed forces will be able to wear headscarves for first time, under a Turkish Defense Ministry policy announced Wednesday.

According to new ministry regulations, female soldiers can wear headscarves underneath their caps or berets so long as they are the same color as their uniform and are without patterns.

In 2013, the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party lifted a ban on headscarves in Turkey's civil service as part of a broader democratization package.

Reporting by Sarp Ozer:Writing by Emin Avundukluoglu

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