Dictionary meaning of “Turk’s Head”, in English, is a men’s head gear – the “turban”. But, in recent years, term “turban” is exclusively, used for women’s head covering. It has become a political, social problem even involving the European Union.

HEAD SCARVES
Women in Turkey had covered their heads before the Republic as a matter of tradition stemming from an archaic religious belief, that Muslim women do not show their hair to strangers in public places – chiefly because men would be aroused, when and if they saw, the hair and necks of women. Obviously a primitive obsession which would has no place in a modern world and society and is openly against the equality of sexes. 

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk , while implementing his revolutionary reforms intended to transform Turkey from a medieval land , to a modern ,western country, had enacted laws which made modern attire mandatory for men: | hats and caps instead of fezs an tarbushes, and modern suits instead of oriental attires. Foreigners have wondered why most of Ataturk’s photos show him wearing a ‘white tie` suit. This suit is mandatory for the Speakers of the Parliament. This was a symbolic way to demonstrate the transformation.
In 1925, the fez and men’s turbans were outlawed with penalty of imprisonment. This revolution did not go well with the reactionary quarters, but some hodjas who opposed the `hat` were severely penalized. 

FOR WOMEN
Ataturk however did not apply this revolution to women, because the head scarf was traditional and practical especially in rural and provincial areas. `In time women will solve the problem themselves” And in fact head scarves also began to disappear according to modern fashion. In my own family my mother and grand mother and aunts threw away their head scarves etc. and started wearing fashionable hats. There, also remained some relatives with loosely covering head scarves .but there was never a problem.
The `problem` was artificially provoked by the Islamic Refah party and its leader Necmettin Erbakan , who made a different kind of women’s head cover now called “turban` their symbol and flag of defiance against Ataturk’s reforms and the secular Republic `The Turban` - its problem -has since occupied and poisoned countries’ agenda and politics,

While women, who wear turbans, and dresses, tip to toe, in “Islamic” fashion, increase ,with impunity, the problem is becoming even more complex To differentiate between the traditional and innocent head scarf and the `symbolic’ turban, is difficult in practice and legally. The the European Human Rights Court endorsed ruling of the Constitution Court, banning the `turban` in public areas, and Universities, is in effect, but not always easy to implement as it concerns the turbaned wives of Ministers etc. The turbaned girls turned away from the gates of Universities was used as propaganda material. 

The ruling AKP , successor of the Refah Party and the Prime Minister Erdogan, are now pushing and provoking the issue/ And `poor, Muslim girls prevented from attending higher schools because of their religious convictions` has become a “cause celebre`.
The problem is now coming to head, when the election of the next President of the Republic, by the AKP dominated Parliament in 2007, looms darkly in the future. There is no constitutional provision or law at present to prevent a turbaned lady or a person with a turbaned wife, being elected President. 

The former President Demirel, who in effect did not allow Turban in Cankaya, during his term, I believe mischievously said, `a new law should be adopted, to ban turban for future Presidents and their espouses- knowing well that = the problem is insoluble- indeed a real conundrum!

The only possible way to prevent Mr Erdogan’s or the other prospective candidate Bulent Arinc’s accession to Presidency would be to prevent his election by `democratic” methods. Opposition parties are therefore now proposing early General elections, hoping that the AKP majority in the Parliament might be diminished. Although the AKP and its leader have lost much of their charm, energy and support, this move would be rather risky. Especially if all the opposition parties do not unite – this is, at best doubtful. The problem remains and will continue to haunt the country in the coming months. In the final analysis the problem is not the `turban` itself,; the real problem is with certain “heads"
As a personal note I must say, for the record, that to imagine what many of we consider Ataturk’s “holy ground` on Cankaya hill, occupied by turbaned and tarbushed heads, is virtual night mare for me.