ANKARA (Web Desk) – Turkey has announced a headscarf-wearing woman as member of interim cabinet that will rule the country until November 1 elections, for the first time in history.
Aysen Gurcan, who a a 52-year-old academic, has been notified as minister for family and social policies under Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
Gurcan is also said to be a member of the board of an NGO the Foundation for Youth and Education (TURGEV) where a son of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds an executive position.
Over the past two years, the Turkish government has lifted bans on women and girls wearing headscarves in schools and state institutions, moves denounced by opponents as undermining the basis of the country´s secular society.
