Emine Erdoğan Hijab: From 2004 Exclusion to Hosting NATO Leaders in 2026

By: Shabana Ayaz from Ankara.

Emine Erdoğan Hijab became a powerful symbol of Türkiye’s social transformation when First Lady Emine Erdoğan hosted the spouses of NATO leaders at the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara. Twenty-two years earlier, she was absent from parts of the 2004 NATO Summit in Istanbul because she wore a hijab, a moment many viewed as reflecting the restrictions faced by women in headscarves in official settings at the time.

The contrast between the two summits has drawn widespread attention. During the NATO Summit held in Ankara on 7–8 July 2026, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and First Lady Emine Erdoğan welcomed heads of state, government leaders and their spouses at the Presidential Complex. Emine Erdoğan also hosted a programme for the spouses of NATO leaders at Çankaya Mansion, where participants discussed child safety, technology and global security.

Addressing the gathering, Emine Erdoğan urged governments and technology companies to place children’s safety at the centre of digital platform design rather than treating it as an optional feature. The event brought together prominent international figures, including Brigitte Macron, Olena Zelenska and the spouses of leaders from more than 15 NATO member states.

The moment marked a striking contrast with the 2004 Istanbul NATO Summit. At that time, Emine Erdoğan did not take part in some official events because of her hijab. Although different political groups continue to interpret the episode differently, it remains one of the most discussed examples of the challenges that many women wearing headscarves faced in Türkiye’s public institutions during that period.

For decades, the hijab occupied a central place in debates over secularism, religious freedom and public life in Türkiye. While no nationwide ban prevented ordinary citizens from wearing the hijab, women often encountered restrictions in universities, state institutions, the judiciary and parts of the public sector.

After the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) came to power in 2002, successive reforms gradually eased many of those restrictions. Over time, women wearing the hijab entered parliament, diplomacy, higher education, healthcare, the judiciary and other public institutions, reflecting broader legal and social changes across the country.

Throughout those years, Emine Erdoğan focused on humanitarian work, education, environmental campaigns, women’s empowerment and social welfare projects. She avoided public confrontation over past controversies and instead built a profile centred on public service and international engagement.

The 2026 Ankara NATO Summit highlighted that transformation. The woman who once remained absent from parts of an international summit now stood at the centre of official diplomacy, greeting world leaders’ spouses and representing Türkiye on the global stage.

Supporters describe the occasion as a milestone for religious freedom and women’s participation in public life. Critics continue to debate the broader political implications of Türkiye’s evolving policies. Nevertheless, the two NATO summits, separated by 22 years, illustrate how the country’s political and social landscape has changed.

For many observers, the images from Istanbul in 2004 and Ankara in 2026 tell the story of a nation that has undergone significant transformation. They also reflect a broader discussion about identity, representation and the role of faith in modern public life.