Turkish parliament on Saturday approved constitutional amendments aiming to lift a ban on female students wearing Islamic headscarves at universities.
Lawmakers voted 411-103 in a final vote to give go-ahead to the two constitutional amendments which add paragraphs saying that "noone can be deprived of his/her right to higher education for reasons not openly mentioned by laws."
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the conservative Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) that supports the changes have the required two-thirds majority in the parliament.
The headscarf reform drew fierce opposition from the secular establishment in the predominantly Muslim but secular Turkey which has long forbidden Islamic headscarves at universities.
The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) does not have enough seats to hold off the measure but said it would appeal to the Constitutional Court to try to cancel it.
Meanwhile, 76 nongovernmental organizations organized a demonstration at Sihhiye Square in the capital of Ankara to protest the constitutional amendments and called for the government's resignation, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.
People from several provinces of Turkey especially from Istanbul and Izmir attended the rally, according to the report.
The demonstrators chanted slogans saying "Turkey is secular and will remain secular forever," waving flags.
The constitutional amendments must be signed by President Abdullah Gul, who is widely expected to approve the changes.
The government said on Friday that it was seeking suggestions on permissible styles for female students. In the next stage, the government plans to change laws governing higher education to specify what type of head covering will be allowed to ensure that students do not attend classes in full-length chadors or burqas.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan' AKP and the MHP have agreed that scarves should be tied loosely with a knot beneath the chin, leaving the face exposed.
Source: Xinhua
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