On Oct. 13, Turkish newspapers reported that men in the predominantly Kurdish southeast of Turkey are going to barbershops in record numbers to get a clean shave. Having a beard, according to the reports, is seen as a symbol of affiliation with the Islamic State (IS). A tweet made the rounds on multiple accounts stating: “If today no Kurd is scared to speak Kurdish, but Kurds are scared to wear a beard, that means there is pressure from the PKK [Kurdistan Workers Party], not the Turkish state, on the people.”
Facial hair has long been a contested issue for men in Turkey, where different styles of beard and mustache can signal different sociopolitical viewpoints. According to Islamic traditions, growing a beard is considered Sunnah, or recommended, for adult men. Muslim men are told to differentiate themselves from nonbelievers and not trim their beards because it is considered effeminate. However, according to Turkish legal code, with only a few exceptions, it is forbidden for government employees to grow a beard. Yet, the accuracy of the news that "record-breaking numbers of men" are going to barbershops is unclear.
