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Women Will Decide Extent Of Turkey's Religiosity

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been using religious symbols in his rallies, giving the wrong impression internationally and raising concerns about Turkey's religious turn.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters during a rally by his ruling AK Party in Istanbul June 16, 2013. Erdogan rallied hundreds of thousands of supporters at an Istanbul parade ground on Sunday as riot police fired teargas several kilometres away in the city centre to disperse anti-government protesters. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY  - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX10PZS

It was deeply worrying that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued to paint the Gezi Park protesters at his June 16 rally in Istanbul as anti-Muslims. “Those who enter mosques with their shoes; those who consume alcohol at mosques; those who abused my sisters with head scarves on the streets, are you happy with what you have done?” he asked. 

But the video footage from inside that mosque on the night of June 12 make it clear that the mosque was turned into a medical emergency station for many injured by the police’s excessive use of force. And it’s dubious how many women with head cover were verbally or physically abused. Many women with no head cover unfortunately face those challenges, too.

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