By KUNA
Ankara : The Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkey’s major opposition party, lodged an appeal Wednesday to the Constitutional Court against the recent amendment of a legislation which allowed female students wearing “hijab” (Muslim headscarf) to get into universities.
The amendment runs counter to the secularist values of Turkey, CNN quoted secretary general of the party Ondar Sav as saying after lodging the appeal to the court.
The amendment places the religious ideology above the secular constitution and laws of Turkey, he said.
The Turkish parliament, dominated by the Islamic-leaning Justice and Development (AK) Party, passed a controversial amendment earlier this. President Abdullah Gul signed it into law last Friday.
Sav and three other CHP leaders asked the court to take an urgent move to rescind the amendment and restore the ban of hijab wearing which had been in force since 1997.
The appeal is backed by 112 MPs from the CHP and another independent MP, Sav disclosed.
Founded during the Congress of Sivas with the name of “People’s Party,” the CHP is the oldest political party in the Republic of Turkey. On November 10, 1924, the People’s Party renamed itself to “Republican People’s Party” (CHP) as the Turkey was moving into Single-Party period.