Lipstick ban for hostesses of increasingly 'Islamic' Turkish Airlines
Ankara (AsiaNews) - The Turkish Airlines lashes out against "make-up" and bans its hostess from wearing flashy lipsticks. The measure is part of the national airline's new aesthetic code. The decision has sparked controversy amongst the population, which accuses the government of wanting to silently Islamize society. In the past few days women have posted photos of themselves wearing bright red or pink lipstick on social networks.
The "lipstick" ban is the latest in a series of precautionary measures taken by the airline. Gursel Tekin, vice-president of the Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, CHP, the main opposition party, stated that "this measure is a perverse act." Turkish Airlines has responded to criticism of the secular world, claiming that the new aesthetic code serves to give more elegance to the hostess, using pastel colors for clothes and make-up.
The change in the airline rules reflects the directives of the pro-Islamic Government of the Justice and Development Party of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan Tayyin, in power for over a decade. The State owns 49% of the company and in recent months has launched a series of restrictions to make its flights more "Islamic" through the prohibition of alcohol, as well as the rule that hostesses must wear a headscarf or fez in Neo-Ottoman style, with skirts to there ankles.
Since the rise to power of Erdogan, the country has begun a slow return to Islam and religion, after decades of Kemalist secularism. The number of women who choose to wear the veil, still banned in public offices, has increased, while the number of places the sale of alcohol is banned is multiplying.
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