Turkey is officially a secular state, and the hijab is banned in universities and public buildings – this includes libraries or government buildings. The ban was first in place during the 1980 military coup, but the law was strengthened more in 1997.[51] Over the years thousands of women have been arrested or prosecuted for refusing to take off the hijab or protesting against the ban, by the secular institution.[52] There has been some unofficial relaxation of the ban under governments led by the conservative party AKP in recent years,[21] for example the current government of the AKP is willing to lift the ban in universities, however the new law was upheld by the constitutional court, and on the other hand the military sees itself as the protector of secularism. The ban has been highly controversial since its implementation, in a country where 99% are either practicing or nominal Muslims or assumed as Muslim by the state. Some researches claim that around 60% of Turkish women cover their heads, however, many women wear a cultural headscarf that isn't a symbol of the Quran.[53] This is often mistaken by some, who instead assume that the headscarf in Turkish research only symbolises the hijab and not the cultural one, and this is probably why many think that a majority of Turkish women wear Islamic covering. More interestingly is that researches also shows that the usage of the Hijab has declined since the 1990s. In cities like Istanbul and Ankara most women do not cover their heads. In some cities in eastern Turkey where a conservative mentality still is more dominant more women cover their heads.[51][54][55] On February 7, 2008, the Turkish Parliament passed an amendment to the constitution, allowing women to wear the headscarf in Turkish universities, arguing that many women would not seek an education if they could not wear the hijab.[56][57][58][59] The decision was met with powerful opposition and protests from secularists. On June 5, 2008, the Constitutional Court of Turkey reinstated the ban on constitutional grounds of the secularity of the state.[60] Headscarves had become a focal point of the conflict between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the secularist establishment, which includes the courts, universities, and army. The ruling was widely seen as a victory for Turks who claim this maintains Turkey's separation of state and religion.
