Turkey opposes Iran's interference in its internal affairs

Turkey considered the demonstration for supporting the Turkish veiled deputy that was organized in Iran to be interference in its internal affairs.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed that it summoned Iranian ambassador Mohammed Hussein Lawsani to convey Turkey's concern to him.

Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit accused Iran of trying to promote political Islam in Turkey after the Iranian demonstration.

100 Iranian female students demonstrated in support of Turkish deputy Marnowa Fathi, who stirred up disputes by entering the parliament wearing a veil last week.

Secular Turks consider the veil a symbol of establishing an Islamic system in Turkey like the Iranian system.

A female parliamentarian from the Islamic Virtue Party, 31-years-old, computer engineer Merve Kavakci took her place in the current parliament wearing a head scarf. Kavakci is determined to keep her hair convered in public, a practice that is frowned upon by the turksih military establishment and secularists who exerted all their efforts to ban the practice in schools, universities and public offices.

Prime Minister Ecevit held talks with the Islamic Virtue Party's leaders, but the talks failed when the Islamic Virtue Party leader told the delegation that the decision was up to Kavakci and that the party would not pressure her one way or the other.

"I will not bare my head under any conditions, and I will not resgin," Kavakci has said, arguing that she is a parliamentary deputy elected from thousands of women like herself.

"I hope that democracy in Turkey will soon reach the point where women will not be excluded for their headscarves," she added.