Turkey lifts ban on hijab for policewomen
Female officers can now wear headscarf under their caps or berets in line with uniform

Turkish female police have never been allowed to wear the hijab as part of their uniform — until now
Turkey has lifted a ban on policewomen wearing the hijab while on duty.
Female officers can now wear a headscarf under their caps or berets, provided it is plain and is the same colour as the uniform, a ruling published in the government's Official Gazette said on Saturday.
#Turkish #Police female officers may now wear #hijab as part of their uniform, former prohibition lifted in #Turkey pic.twitter.com/UFpK5kca2G
— Pere Juli (@perejulia) August 27, 2016
Restrictions on women wearing the headscarf in Turkey, an officially secular state, have eased in recent years. In 2010, Turkey lifted the ban on wearing the headscarf for university students and at state institutions in 2013. High school students were able wear it since 2014.
A number of western countries have revised their approach to the hijab. Canada and Scotland recently incorporated the hijab as part of their official police uniforms.
RT @daad425 Canada allows hijab
— ahmed a a abass (@ahmedaaabass) August 28, 2016
in the federal police
Le Canada autorise le hijab
dans la police fdrale pic.twitter.com/g4VCEsHulm
"This is intended to better reflect the diversity in our communities and encourage more Muslim women to consider the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as a career option," Scott Bardsley, a government spokesman said.
In Scotland, police followed suit.
The hijab is now an optional part of Police Scotland uniform. More at https://t.co/IeOAJGsORZ #PolScotRecruit 1/2
— Police Scotland (@policescotland) August 23, 2016
"This is a positive step in the right direction, and I am delighted that Police Scotland is taking productive steps in order to ensure that our organisation is seen to be inclusive and represents the diverse communities that we serve across Scotland," Fahad Bashir, Chair of the Scottish Police Muslim Association said.
The move allowing women to wear hijab came after French police fined a woman for wearing burkini, a swimsuit that covers the whole body except the face. The police said wearing burkini "could harm the secular system of France." France's top administrative court later suspended the rule pending a review for violating fundamental civil liberties.