Authorities have reportedly closed the office after its employees disregarded the country’s Islamic headscarf law
Iranian police have closed the Tehran office of Turkish Airlines after local female employees refused to comply with Iran’s hijab law, according to Iranian media reports on Tuesday.
Officers reportedly visited the airline on Monday to deliver a first warning for “non-observance of hijab,” the Islamic headscarf required for women in Iran.
However, the employees “caused problems for the police officers” by refusing to wear hijab, leading to the closure of the office, according to Tasnim news agency.
The sealed Turkish Airlines premises may reopen on Wednesday, the media said, but police have not confirmed this information. According to Turkish media, Turkish Airlines did not immediately comment on the incident.
The hijab became mandatory for women in Iran following the 1979 revolution. Women who do not wear a headscarf or are deemed to be wearing it improperly can face fines or imprisonment. Last year, Iranian MPs advocated for stricter punishments for violations of Tehran’s religious dress code, including prison sentences of up to a decade for those involved in organized protests against the law.
In 2022, the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, while in the custody of Iran’s ‘morality police’ after being accused of breaking the hijab mandate sparked months of violent protests across Iran, resulting in thousands of arrests.