Istanbul, 25 Nov. (AKI) — The European Court of Human Rights ruling on 11 November upholding Turkey's ban on headscarves in universities seemed to be the last word on the sensitive issue.

But Leyla Sahin, now 32, the medical student who brought the case after being excluded from Istanbul University in 1998, has told Adnkronos International (AKI) from Vienna that she is not giving up the fight.

The court ruled the ban did not violate the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion guaranteed by an international human rights treaty and noted that there were extremist political movements in Turkey which sought to impose religious symbols on society as a whole."

The Turkish government has periodically enforced a ban on headscarves in universities since the 1960s.   However, in 1997, that ban was implemented more strenuously, after the government of the Islamic "Welfare Party" was forced to resign by the strictly secularist Turkish Army.   The next government applied the ban without exception, and women who insist on wearing headscarves are now barred from private and state universities.

AKI: What is your comment on the ruling of ECHR and how did you feel when you learned the decision?

LS: The decision is not judicial but politically motivated, in my opinion.   The Court has obviously ignored my rights and the unjust treatment imposed on us.   I had filed in the Court in 1998, as I thought the judges were fair.   I was confident that what I was doing is right.   I felt sorry after I learnt the decision.   I think that ECHR and the EU have different values.   I just lost my confidence in the Court.

AKI: What is the impact of the ruling on the headscarf problem in Turkey?   Some claim that the Court had the last word and the case is closed.

LS: The court has left the problem to be solved in Turkey.   There are a lot of girls with headscarves and the ban continues, so the problem remains.   Turkey has to find a solution, as it cannot be a country where these kinds of bans are still applied.   The ban doesn't result from a constitutional or legal clause; therefore Turkey has to put an end to it.

AKI: What do you thing about the idea of the court that a headscarf is a symbol?

LS: A headscarf is not a symbol of anything.   It is a religious obligation for Muslim women.   Regarding it as a ‘symbol’ does not have any real basis.   A headscarf is not a threat or a means of pressure for others who do not wear it.   For us, wearing the headscarf, despite a lot of difficulties, is a struggle by Muslim women exert their free will in modern society.

AKI: What is your reason for wearing headscarf?   Is there any pressure from your family?

LS: I wear it because of my belief and it is a part of my identity.   I feel happy, free and at ease this way.   My family didn’t pressure me about my beliefs.   Of course, I belong to a conservative family, and a conservative social environment but I preferred to wear headscarf.   I have a lot of friends from different backgrounds.

AKI: When you had to halt your studies at Istanbul university in 1998 and later moved to Vienna, what was the reaction of your family?

LS: My family always supported me, and when the ban started, they didn’t say ‘leave off your headscarf’.   They respect my decisions, and I always saw them at my side during the difficult days.

AKI:What will be your next step?   Do you have a struggle strategy?

LS: I will continue to explain the problem and our rights to the people.   We are right; the court ruling will not change this.   The court decision is not the end for us; on the contrary, it is a new beginning.   The ruling triggered a huge discussion.   As we talk and discuss the ban, I hope some barriers to our freedoms will disappear.

AKI: Are you planning to return to Turkey?   What are your future plans?

LS: When I was expelled from Istanbul University, I went to Vienna to continue my education.   And now I have a degree from Vienna University.   I will start work in May or June 2006 in Vienna as a doctor, and I am also planning to do a master degree here.