The headscarf ban in Turkish universities is a safeguard or violation? Analysis of the ECHR judgment in Leyla Sahin V. Turkey

This project seeks to understand the effects of the Turkish headscarf ban on women in universities and how they respond to the barriers to education and political fears. This project examines the legal and civil society routes available to women and the corresponding benefits and risks. Interviews with women in Turkey describe the individual experiences of women with the ban and analysis of the case Leyla Sahin v. Turkey at the ECHR. The analysis of the Sahin case contained many problems with the legal reasoning and applications and leaves room for future cases to challenge these flaws. Analysis of interview responses and literature on Turkish civil society together demonstrate that an important factor in any potential resolution of the issue is a restructuring of meanings attributed to the headscarf. Current meanings of "secularism" and of the motives for the headscarf need to be reconciled through dialogue to construct a compromise.