Turkish President Abdullah Gul attended the armyÂ’s Victory Day on Thursday, but his wife, who wears the Islamic headscarf, was not invited in a fresh snub by the secular establishment.Since GulÂ’s election by parliament on Tuesday, the army has failed to accord its new commander-in-chief, a former Islamist, some of the traditional signs of respect - a stance that has been criticised even by GulÂ’s opponents. First lady Hayrunnisa Gul, whose headscarf hardline secularists view as a symbol of political Islam, was absent from the Victory Day parade, as was the wife of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who also covers her head. The military has always refused, since ErdoganÂ’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002, to invite the wives of government officials who wear headscarves. But this was the first time the wife of a president was not invited.
Gul sat between Erdogan and chief of general staff Yasar Buyukanit, but the three barely exchanged remarks as they solemnly watched the ceremony. GulÂ’s wife was also expected to be absent from a traditional Victory Day reception hosted by the military Thursday evening, her name reportedly omitted from the invitation sent to the president.