First lady who was excluded from a reception due to her headscarf is now at the center

Turkish media is recalling an event from 22 years ago involving the country's first lady, Emine Erdoğan. They note that in 2004, during the NATO summit in Istanbul, Emine Erdoğan was denied entry to an official reception for heads of state and government because she was wearing a headscarf.

At that time, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the Prime Minister. The official invitation sent to him was for one person only, and his spouse was not invited to the event. Turkish media describes this situation as a 'diplomatic exclusion' of that era.

Twenty-two years later, Turkey hosted another NATO summit. This time, Emine Erdoğan, who was once excluded from an official reception due to her headscarf, personally welcomed world leaders and their spouses at the Presidential Palace.

Turkish media views this event as a symbolic reflection of the political and social changes in the country.