Top court annuls constitutional change allowing headscarf

Turkey's top court yesterday declared the law to allow wearing Islamic headscarf at universities invalid. Members of the Constitutional Court, chaired by Hasim Kilic rejected the constitutional changes 9-2. The court reportedly based its ruling on Article 4 of the Constitution, which stipulates that Republic's core values, including secularism, cannot be altered. Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Democratic Society Party (DTP) had backed the changes. Opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Democratic Left Part (DSP) then applied to the top court asking annulment of the law. Speaking to reporters, Kilic called on all people to respect the ruling of the top court and said that they would release a well-reasoned statement soon.