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The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on October 4 submitted a law proposal to provide a legal guarantee for civil servants' right to wear a headscarf.
The bill came as part of CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's efforts to achieve what he calls "reconciliation" with different segments of the public, especially the pious and the Kurds.
In response to the proposal, President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan suggested that the Constitution be amended to guarantee the right to wear a headscarf and protect the family.
An LGBTI+ activist who spoke to bianet about the issue said the CHP's proposal could have been more inclusive.
"An arrangement about the headscarf is of course important, but he could also propose an arrangement about LGBTI+ rights and women's rights, as well as animals' right to life. It could have been more inclusive," said Can Kaya.
"A multifaceted war"
The government has long been "waging a war" against the LGBT+s, Kaya said. "This war sometimes progresses psychologically, sometimes with attacks on Pride Parades, and sometimes disallowing events. There is a multifaceted war."
The government attacks the LGBTI+s the most by using "the family," Kaya said.
"What distinguishes this government from the others is that it discriminates in a systematic and targeted way. And we don't hear these statements from ERdoğan for the first time.
"There were statements from figures close to the AKP before. They targeted LGBTI+s. Now, we heard it from Erdoğan himself. And he did this through Kılıçdaroğlu's headscarf move. In this sense, Kılıçdaroğlu has opened a space for Erdoğan. And he still keeps silent.
"He put us at risk again. The CHP also was one of the parties that remained silent against the hate rally. If the matter is reconciliation, then Kılıçdaroğlu should reconcile with us, too." (EMK/VK)
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