Turkish Politician Speaks at IOP

Turkish politician Merve Kavakci spoke last night at the Kennedy School of Government's Starr auditorium about being expelled from the Turkish parliament in 1999 for wearing a headscarf.

She told the packed auditorium that she was elected to the parliament but prevented from taking her oath of office because her headscarf, associated with Muslim conservatism, was viewed as a threat to the secular culture. Her citizenship was then revoked.

Kavakci, a "daughter of academicians," said it was a violation of her "freedom of conscience."

"My scarf is my personal belief; I simply have to wear it," Kavakci said.

She said these kinds of rulings against religious expression are not uncommon in Turkey. She was expelled from medical school for the same reason.

She discussed a similar case of a schoolgirl who was denied permission to take an exam wearing a headscarf.

Rejecting her teacher's request for her to "dress up like a human being," the girl was forcibly removed by police, refused hospital treatment and imprisoned, according to Kavakci.

Kavakci said these occurrences prompted her to become a champion of "human rights goals back home."

She has, however, met with stiff opposition, as demonstrated by her removal from parliament. She called this as a conspiracy by a "minority of wealthy, powerful elite" to silence democratic opposition to a "corrupt system based on chaos."

She further blames a media dominated by "four powerful individuals" who are closely affiliated with the government for destroying her and her family through "character assassination."

Kavakci said she believes her exclusion from government through a ban on headscarves was merely a pretext employed by the regime.

Rather than accepting the argument that her headwear posed a threat to secularism, Kavakci said she views secularism as a tool for oppression, used by a government for which "violation of human rights is its modus operendi."

Kavakci said she sees hope for the future in Turkey, with a possibility for religious freedom for religious conservatives.

Skepticism about Kavakci's message and agenda came out in the question-and-answer session after the speech. Students said they believed she was advancing a conservative religious agenda under the guise of concern for religious freedom.

Suna Vidinli of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences accused the speaker of "hiding behind a veil of U.S. citizenship and religion to polarize politics" in Turkey. Vidinli referred to herself as a Muslim Turk.

Another audience member rose to ask why headscarves have only recently become popular, to which Kavakci said, "It is the 21st century, and I may dress as I like."

According to Magda Kowalczykowski '03, Kavakci "may have glossed over some exceptions in the views she presented."

Deema B. Arafah '03 said to be overly skeptical of Kavakci and to "reject the humanity of her experiences because of politics" is "unfair."