ISTANBUL: A senior member of Turkey’s ruling party stirred up a new furore yesterday over the imposition of Islamic values in the country, saying it was a “big mistake” to allow boys and girls to study together.
The comments by deputy parliament speaker Sadik Yakut followed a storm of controversy over a push by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier this month to do away with mixed-sex dorms at universities.
Erdogan’s Islamist-leaning government has increasingly come under fire over what critics see as attempts to enforce Islamic norms in the predominantly Muslim but staunchly secular country.
“Having girls and boys educated at the same schools in the name of a pro-West approach is unfortunately a mistake that has been made from the past up until now,” Yakut told a parliamentary gathering.
Yakut, a member of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), said the situation would be “corrected” soon, without elaborating.
His comments drew criticism from the main opposition secular Republican People’s Party (CHP), with women lawmakers accusing him of being backward minded.
“It is complete nonsense to talk about these things in the 21st century,” CHP deputy head Perihan Sari said in parliament.
Another CHP lawmaker, Aylin Nazliaka, asked: “When will you make women sit behind curtains?”
Erdogan earlier this month said the government would act to stop male and female students living together in university dorms, ordering governors of the country’s 81 provinces to monitor student residences and speak out against immoral behaviour.
Yakut, a founding member of the AKP, responded to the outcry by saying it was his personal opinion.
The AKP distanced itself from his comments. “Abolishing mixed-sex education is not on our agenda,” AKP parliamentary chief Mustafa Elitas told reporters.
But the row refused to die down.
“Are we going to have separate Twitter and Facebook for girls and boys as well? What about Halal Twitter?” demanded one Twitter user, signed Can Yel.
Critics say Erdogan’s 11-year rule has left Turkish society more polarised than ever, with opponents of the government voicing concerns that Turkey is sliding toward conservative Islam.
Turkish police and protesters clashed yesterday at the opening of the trial of two people charged with the death of a young man during anti-government street demonstrations this year.
The trouble occurred as a crowd of about 500 people gathered to seek justice for the 19-year-old victim tried to storm the courthouse in Istanbul.
No-one was injured.
Mehmet Ayvalitas, 19, was killed in Istanbul in June by a taxi which rammed into a group of people demonstrating against Erdogan.
The taxi driver and the owner of the vehicle are charged with manslaughter and face three to 15 years in prison if convicted.
“This is not a criminal case, nor a traffic accident but clearly a political act,” said Kurdish lawmaker Sebahat Tuncel.
AFP
