ANKARA - First round of voting on Constitutional amendment bill --which envisages to lift ban on headscarf at universities-- was completed late on Wednesday.
The 1st Article of the bill was accepted with 401 votes against 110 votes, while three votes were invalid. The 1st article adds the statement "...and in benefitting from all public services" in the last sentence of Constitution's Article 10 on "Equality before the Law." Under this amendment, last sentence of Article 10 says that "State organs and administrative authorities shall act in compliance with the principle of equality before the law in all their proceedings and in benefitting from all public services.
The 2nd Article of the bill was approved with 404 votes against 99 votes, while two votes were invalid. The 2nd article amends Article 42 of the Constitution on "Right and Duty of Training and Education"; by adding the statement "No one can be deprived of the right to receive higher education for reasons not openly mentioned by laws. The limits of the use of this right will be determined by law."
The 3rd article --which is on enforcement of the bill-- was adopted with 404 votes against 92 votes, while two votes were invalid.
The second round of voting will be held on February 9th, Saturday.