Erdogan lashes out at EU court’s headscarf ban ruling

By Meltem Ozturk

ESKISEHIR, Turkey

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday slammed the EU Court of Justice’s decision to uphold a headscarf ban at workplaces by employers, calling the ruling violations of freedom of religion and faith.

Addressing a ceremony in northwestern Eskisehir province, Erdogan said: “We are sick of this. You said, there is freedom of religion, freedom of faith!”.

“I dare you to ban the skullcap,” he added, referring to the traditional hat worn by some Jewish men and boys as a symbol of their faith.

He also criticized the Dutch government’s mistreatment of a Turkish minister that ended up in a diplomatic row between the two countries.

“Our doors are closed for those who barred my state’s minister -- a female minister -- from entering my consulate office on our soil,” he said, referring to the incident in the Dutch city of Rotterdam when the Turkish family minister was blocked from entering the Turkish consulate on March 11.

He also slammed the Dutch authority for imposing a flight ban on Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on the same day.

“We will apply flight ban on those who imposed flight bans on my minister,” Erdogan added.