Assaults on Veiled Women and Alcohol in Mosques: How Hate Campaigns Target Religious Turks

Amidst a simmering public mood and a spreading wave of racism, a Turkish nationalist youth entered a mosque and drank alcohol inside, challenging the feelings of millions of Turkish Muslims.

On September 15, 2023, he posted a photo of the liquor bottle in front of the qibla on X (Twitter) and wrote, “Ataturk the Great.”

He called on authorities to investigate the 3,200 cameras in mosques nationwide to apprehend him if they could, triggering anger and condemnation across social media.

The incident is seen as a serious indicator of a growing wave of hatred targeting religious Turks.

Incidents of verbal or physical attacks on veiled women are on the rise, along with calls to return Turkiye to its early heritage when the secularist policies of the opposition Republican People’s Party government were hostile to all forms of religion.

Questions arise about this prevailing situation, which threatens social cohesion, in addition to the animosity toward foreigners and attacks on refugees and tourists. How will Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confront this challenge at the beginning of his third term in office?

 

Saudi Arabia and Greece

On August 20, 2023, a Turkish veiled woman was riding a public bus in the province of Kocaeli, Istanbul, when she was confronted with a verbal attack by a racist woman who said, “Where are you from? No one lives like this here in the Republic of Turkiye; go somewhere else.”

The journey turned into a heated verbal confrontation when some passengers intervened and demanded that the aggressor remain silent.

One passenger sternly confronted her, saying, “Can you stop this audacity? What’s your problem if she’s veiled or not? Should I call the police? Keep quiet and mind your own business.”

Another woman who had witnessed the situation intervened and told the racist woman, “This is Turkiye, and we wear what we want here; go to Greece if you’re not happy.”

Following this incident, the Governor of Kocaeli, Seddar Yavuz, announced that the authorities had identified the woman who insulted another because of her clothing.

He added that “the necessary legal actions will be taken against her.”

“We are committed to protecting individual rights and freedoms.”

Anadolu reported that the police arrested the accused after the video of the incident went viral, and an investigation is underway.

This incident, which gained significant attention in the Turkish media, was not the only one. The day before, specifically on August 19, inside a bus in the Besiktas neighborhood of Istanbul, a young man stood up against a racist woman who was verbally attacking a veiled Turkish lady.

The woman said to the lady with the hijab, “Go to Saudi Arabia and ride camels,” to which the young man replied, “And you, go to Greece and ride boats.”

The woman then physically assaulted the young man, calling him “ill-mannered,” and she even threw his phone on the ground.

A similar incident occurred on August 31 when a young Turkish man defended a veiled woman on the Istanbul subway after she was attacked by a secular woman who tried to remove her hijab.

The woman engaged in a physical altercation with the young man because he stopped her and said, “My mother also wears a hijab, so don’t interfere with others’ clothing.”

On September 14, 2023, a video was published on social media showing a woman arguing with a veiled lady and subsequently confronting another veiled woman walking with her child on the street, trying to remove their hijabs.

The Turkish website Haberler reported that this incident took place in the Esenyurt district of Istanbul. The attacking woman was arrested by the police, and an investigation was initiated, with legal proceedings underway.

 

Erdogan’s Intervention

Amidst these incidents, which appeared to be a widespread phenomenon, President Erdogan intervened with stern statements on September 5. He criticized what he referred to as “those with a fascist mentality” for targeting Turkish citizens based on their religious affiliations, vowing to bring them to justice.

Following a Turkish government meeting, he tweeted, “Unfortunately, we are witnessing more audacity in public buses, metro stations, shops, and on the streets, targeting our citizens.

“Every person in Turkiye, whether a citizen or a foreigner, has the right to live in peace and express their opinions,” he added.

“Some people, because they are foreigners, speak a different language, wear a hijab, face harassment and violence for these reasons in Turkiye. We have not accepted and will never accept this, and we will hold them accountable.”

He emphasized that “they are trying to distort the areas that should unite us all, around our values, joys, and shared pride, such as culture, arts, and sports, into tools for defeat.

“It seems they have not learned from the presidential elections, and the era of oppressors who see this country as the property of a few individuals and this nation as their slaves is over.”

 

Painful History

Despite 94% of Turks considering themselves religious and Muslim believers, according to a study conducted by Marmara University on March 21, 2023, Turkiye has a painful history concerning religious freedoms.

On February 28, 1997, the post-modern coup, or what they refer to as the February 28 coup, took place, appearing as a precautionary measure to protect secularism.

At that time, the leader of the Welfare Party and prominent Islamic figure, Necmettin Erbakan, who was serving as the prime minister in a coalition government with the True Path Party led by Tansu Ciller, was ousted from power.

The coup leaders, including generals such as Admiral Salim Dervisoglu, Generals Ilhan Kilic, and Ahmet Corekci, were all at the peak of their careers. They committed acts such as overthrowing the elected government, stifling democratic life, and jeopardizing public order.

One of the measures imposed during this period was a strict ban on the wearing of the headscarf (hijab) in universities. Quran memorization schools were also closed, and Sufi orders’ schools were abolished, with officers who held religious views being dismissed from their positions.

 

Important Changes

However, it was only a few years until a reformist movement emerged in 2002, attempting to regain control and break free from the previous setback. The Justice and Development Party, led by Erdogan, with its conservative composition, established its dominance over Turkish life and ruled the country for over two decades.

The Justice and Development Party succeeded in penetrating the old secularist strongholds established by the military elite. The party put an end to restrictions on religious freedoms, particularly concerning the issue of the headscarf and the rights of veiled women to education and government employment.

They opened up wide opportunities for Muslims to freely practice their rituals by expanding the construction of mosques and strengthening the role of the Directorate of Religious Affairs in its mission of religious outreach and guidance. They also countered any targeting of Islamic sanctities and veiled women.

Turkish journalist Omar Kizilcinar commented on this situation, saying, “What we see today is part of the unfortunate history that the Turkish Republic experienced, where wearing the headscarf, even practicing prayers and fasting, or any aspect of religion was not allowed. They considered religious people, especially veiled women, as inferior, with no right to education or employment.”

He added to Al-Estiklal, “Today, Turkiye has significantly moved beyond that past, which disturbs secularists and those with anti-religious ideologies.

“These individuals exploit this issue in their conflict with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party. They always aim to ignite disputes and conflicts based on religion and identity.”

The journalist emphasized that “Turkiye is facing both internal and external conspiracies targeting its society, seeking to thwart the achievements of recent years.

“The government must vigorously address such behavior and conduct awareness campaigns in schools and universities,” according to the Turkish journalist.

“One of the things that are positive is that those standing up against racism toward religious people and veiled women are ordinary citizens, which was not common in the past.”