ANKARA: Turkey has lifted a ban on headscarf for female civilian personnel serving in the military. Now a male military civilian personnel can also grow a beard.
According to a ruling published in an official gazette, women working under the Turkish Armed Forces, Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command will now abide by the dress code of the other state institutions, which enables them to wear headscarves.
Male military civilian personnel can also grow a beard and are not required to wear a tie during the summer months, according to the new regulation.
There are currently 30, 000 civilian personnel working under the Turkish military.
The AK Party government previously removed a similar ban on headscarves in universities in early 2011, and in state institutions and the parliament in late 2013.
The ban dates back almost 90 years, as part of the secular Turkish republic in 1923.
