WRITTEN QUESTION E-3585/01 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission. Dress rules for female employees in Turkey.
Date: 2002-01-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Türkiye, accession criteria, accession to the European Union, clothing, gender equality, position of women, public sector

C 229 E/36

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2002)

Last year a contract was signed by the Commission and an external firm with a view to providing
permanent assistance to the network of European relays. For this purpose, a help desk for informing the
Team Europe, Carrefours and Infopoints (TECIS) was established. The newsletter is one of many services
that the Commission provides to the network of information relays.

The purpose of the newsletter is to provide swift, up-to-date information for the members of Team Europe
and the people who run the Carrefours and Infopoints. It is not aimed at the general public, rather it is to
ensure that citizens receive an improved service due to the fact that the people providing them with
information have constant support from the help desk, including the newsletter.

To date the newsletter has been produced only in English and French (two issues December 2001 and
January 2002) as the translation into other languages would put a futher burden on the already limited
financial resources and it would also delay considerably the process of informing the network of relays.

This new product is, at the moment, in a pilot phase during which its impact and added value is being
closely monitored. On the basis of comments and suggestions from the users, a decision will be taken
about its final outline. Within this assessment the question of languages will be carefully examined.

(2002/C 229 E/036)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3585/01

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Dress rules for female employees in Turkey

On 7 December 2001 female civil servants in Turkey were urged by their union to appear at work
wearing trousers as a way of protesting about a regulation of 1982 which specifically bans female public
sector workers from wearing trousers at the workplace. During this protest which was very widely
supported by female civil servants, problems occurred at Izmir where women wearing trousers were barred
from entering their offices by their superiors.

What steps does the Commission intend to take, as part of the pre-accession procedure, to prevail upon
Turkey to change its antiquated legislation and outlook, to comply with the European ‘acquis’ and to
respect the human rights and democratic freedoms of women?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(4 February 2002)

The Commission attaches the utmost importance to the respect of the principle of gender equality by
Turkey.

In its Regular Report published on 13 November 2001 (1), the Commission noted that the principle of
gender equality has been formally enshrined in the amended version of Article 41 of the Constitution.

Besides this change in the Constitution, the new Civil Code adopted by the Turkish Parliament in 2001,
has also introduced changes aiming at removing discrimination and strengthening gender equality. The
Commission understands that the Turkish Parliament has also specifically addressed the issue raised by the
Honourable Member in an act published in the Turkish Official Gazette on 3 January 2002.

The Commission will continue to monitor closely the actual
provisions in accordance with the Copenhagen political criteria.

implementation of these newly adopted

(1) COM(2001) 700 final.