REMOVAL OF VEIL BAN IN THE PROCESS OF TRANSITION FROM ASSERTIVE SECULARISM TO PASSIVE SECULARISM IN TURKEY / TÜRKİYE’DE DIŞLAYICI LAİKLİKTEN PASİF LAİKLİĞE GEÇİŞ SÜRECİNDE BAŞÖRTÜSÜ YASAĞININ KALDIRILMASI

The assertive secularist approach and its politics that became dominant by the repuplican period in Turkey has kept away religion out of public sphere for many years. It hasn't been possible that religious segment of society to demand their religious requests about public sphere against assertive secularist politics that applicated rigidly especially between 1924-1946. Barely by multi-party period the requests about religious freedoms have begun to voice. As from 1970s the number of veiled students has raised, as from 1980s the issue has been a regime debate and the veil has banned at universities because it is seen counter to secularism. The supporters of ban and the opposites (supporters of reedom of veil at universities) have struggled throught 1980s and 1990's. In this period the ban has applicated rigidly sometimes and has relieved sometimes. In 1990s veiled students has begun to graduate intensely and to be employed at public insitutions and organizations. Thus the figüue of veiled woman in public sphere has increased. After 28 February postmodern military coup in the late 1990s the assertive secularism has been dominant again and veil ban has begun to applicate strictly at all schools with all ppublic institutions and organizations. Although the Justice and Development Party (JDP) which has come to power in 2002 has attempted too many times to stop assertive secularist politics in general and to lift the ban of veil especially it couldn't achieve in its first and second governing period. However in its third government the JDP has built a suitable infrastrucure by some legislations and after 2011 it has carried out the politics that end the assertive secularism and in this context lift the ban of veil complately. In this paper it will be examined the historical development of veil ban and its lifting process in the context of assertive secularism and passive secularism.