Turkey condemns top EU court’s headscarf decision

Istanbul (dpa), 18 July, 2021-The Turkish government has condemned a decision by the European Union’s top court that leaves the door open for employers in the bloc to enforce headscarf bans on their workforce.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) left the door open for EU employers to enforce headscarf bans on their workforce in a ruling on Thursday, but said it must be justified by a genuine need and should take account of the specific national context.

The ruling concerns the case of two Muslim women in Germany who took their respective employers to court after being told not to wear their headscarves, which many observant Muslim women see as a key element of their faith.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry called the decision a clear violation of religious freedom in a statement released on Sunday.

The decision is dangerous as it will fuel Islamophobia, the ministry said.