Unveiling a simple matter, or hidden in cultural codes

A few Turkish women in the public eye have recently removed their veils. Their reasons vary widely from reclaiming an acting career to irritated skin. In the most prominent case recently of a woman becoming uncovered, Reyhan Gürtuna, wife of a former Istanbul mayor, removed her veil last year.

Recently a former actress, veiled after she began living with a popular arabesque singer, said that she will likely remove her veil. She says her reason was based on restarting her career now that she is on her own. She said producers have not offered her work since she began wearing a headscarf. Derya Topaloğlu, the wife of another singer, removed her headscarf saying it had caused eczema on her scalp and that her doctor advised her to remove the headscarf, Vatan reported in September.

When Reyhan Gürtuna, wife of former Istanbul mayor Ali Müfit Gürtuna, removed her headscarf last year, elder family members did not show support for her decision, according to her husband. He viewed her decision merely as a change of "a style she has followed for years..." Her removal of the veil came shortly after her husband had withdrawn from the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) and tried to establish a new party, in part because he said he believed the AKP had lost touch with Turkish society. At the time of her "uncovering" Gürtuna told the media that her husband had not influenced her decision.

These public examples prompt the question about the ease with which any woman can remove her veil, especially those without support to do so at home. Is it an easy endeavor for any woman who also wants to make such a change?

Although sociologists believe that the Muslim community would probably object to a woman taking off her veil, some journalists in the conservative press claim no such pressure exists. Other journalists claim the discussion itself in unfair to women because men do not face the same scrutiny.

"Men have more areas of freedom compared to woman in conservative communities," said Nuray Mert, a prominent columnist and academic from Istanbul University. "A liberal change is easier for a conservative man, but it is often visible for women. The headscarf is visible. When it is taken off, there is no way not to notice that," said Mert, who writes for Radikal.

Experts believe that both uncovered and veiled woman may draw reaction depending on the community they live in. "The headscarf has a symbolic meaning, and this is why it draws public reaction when a woman living in a conservative community uncovers and when a woman living in a high-income or secular community decides to wear headscarf," said Nilüfer Narlı, a sociologist form Bahçeşehir University.

Conservatives: no pressure
Intellectuals wearing headscarves, on the other hand, claimed that covering and uncovering is left to a woman’s free will most of the time. "People do not want to accept that women wear headscarves on their own accord without pressure from men. This is why they believe that women who don’t wear the veil will be exposed to pressures or reactions from men. But there is no pressure like that," said Elif Çakır, a columnist from daily Taraf. "Most women wear headscarves on their own free will and can take it off whenever they want," said Çakır, who wears a headscarf.

Wearing a headscarf is engrained in the cultural codes of Turkish society, says Akif Emre, a columnist at conservative Islamist daily Yeni Şafak. People tend to find it strange when a woman takes off her veil, he said. "This is not about pressure but rather a curiosity to know the reasons why she removed it. Wondering why is intrinsic in humans," Emre said.

The reactions to uncovering one’s head differ from region to region. It also depends on the structure of the community one belongs to, according to one woman willing to talk about her personal experience with uncovering.

"I used to wear headscarf and then I took it off years ago. Many of my friends are religious people, but none of them disapproved of my decision," said Melahat D, a retired woman living in İzmir who declined to give her surname. She added that her friends’ reactions could have been different if she lived in a more conservative city. "I’ve seen some women attending ’Friday Talks’ (meeting in someone’s home to talk and learn about Islam) wearing miniskirts. No one in those discussion groups excludes or criticizes them in İzmir. But it could be different in a city like Aydın," she said.

Reality is not that optimistic
Others, on the other hand, are not optimistic about the tolerance of the conservative Muslim community. "Conservatives have drawn a very optimistic picture of their community, but how liberal can a conservative be? Conservatism is the opposite of liberty, by definition," said Mert.

The conservative Muslims who claim that women can remove head covering without encountering any pressure are not sincere in their arguments, Mert said. "The headscarf is a highly politicized debate in Turkey, and nobody can give his or her sincere arguments on that issue," she said, explaining why conservatives do not admit pressure exists for women who remove their veil.