Turkish military allows female personnel to wear headscarf

The ban on headscarf for female civilian personnel serving in the Turkish military has been lifted, according to a ruling released in the official gazette published on Friday, Turkish Daily Sabah reported.

The ruling says that women working under the Turkish Armed Forces, Gendarmerie General Command and Coast Guard Command will now abide by the dress code of the other state institutions, which enables them to wear headscarves.

The new regulation also allowed male military civilian personnel to grow a beard and not wear a tie during summer months.

Turkey lifted ban on headscarves for policewomen while on duty on Aug. 27 this year, following amendments made to the dress code under the scope of the "democratization package" passed by the Justice and Development (AK) Party in 2013.

The AK Party government previously removed a similar ban on headscarves in universities in early 2011, and in state institutions and the parliament in late 2013.

The ban dates back to 1923, as part of the secular Turkish republic.