Turkish Airlines Tehran office reopens after closure over hijab crisis

Tension flared at the Turkish Airlines (THY) office in Tehran, Iran, after female employees reportedly went against the country’s mandatory headscarf law. This resulted in a two-day closure of the office by Iranian authorities.

The incident reportedly began last Monday when police visited the THY office after receiving reports of female Iranian employees not complying with the hijab rule. According to the reports, these employees resisted police warnings and refused to wear headscarves, leading to the closure of the office.

While Turkish Airlines has not yet issued a statement on the incident, Tehran Prosecutor Ali Salehi responded to a question about whether a court order had been issued for the sealing of the Turkish Airlines office by saying, “No court order has been issued regarding this incident.”

Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi responded to a question about THY office closure after the government meeting. Vahidi said, “I was not aware of this issue and I saw the incident in the press. Later it was reported that the office was closed due to an argument between the police and employees. Today, the seal was lifted.”