Investigation on headscarves rejected

ANKARA: A Turkish prosecutor has rejected a demand to investigate the wives of the president and prime minister for wearing an Islamic headscarf at official functions, media reports said on Thursday.

A women’s group had complained that Hayrunnisa Gul, the wife of President Abdullah Gul, and Emine Erdogan, spouse of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, committed a crime by attending official visits abroad and national day ceremonies at home while wearing a religious garment with a heavy political meaning. The Ankara prosecutor said there were no grounds for an investigation since the Turkish penal code does not define the alleged transgressions as a crime, the reports said.