Turkish women enjoy a broad array of constitutionally guaranteed rights that remain largely unparalleled in the rest of the Muslim world. Turkey's drive to become a full member of the European Union (EU) has added great impetus to democratization in general and to the expansion of free expression in particular. Yet, Turkey's rigidly pro-secular policies, while enabling women to compete with men professionally and socially, have also restricted free religious expression of openly pious women.

Bans on the Islamic-style headscarf in government institutions and in both sta…