Turkish military lifts ban on headscarves

The ban on wearing headscarves for female personnel serving in the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) has been lifted.

The new rule is paving the way for officers and non-commissioned officers to be allowed to wear a headscarf.

The resolution was implemented by Turkey's Defense Ministry and includes military school students.

Previously, another resolution that followed the unsuccessful July 15 coup attempt paved the way for Turkish women who wear headscarves to be pilots in the TAF.

Also, women working in the TAF, Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command can now abide by the dress code of the other state institutions, which enables them to wear headscarves.

The military announced on its website on Feb. 1 that the personnel figures for the TAF increased since February 2016, with 362,284 military personnel now serving.

The figure jumps to 401,199 when the number of civilian personnel is added, according to the statement issued on the TAF website.