Turkish Lawmakers Adopt Disputed Education Bill

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish lawmakers have approved a hotly contested bill that opponents say will boost the influence of Islamic schools by allowing middle school students to attend such institutions.

The proposal snagged 295 votes in the 550-member parliament Friday.

It extends compulsory education from the current eight years to 12. It also reverses a military-imposed move dating to 1997 that closed religious middle schools and allowed only high school students to attend such institutions.

Turkey is a Muslim majority nation that also has a strong secular tradition, traits that often lead to political and policy conflicts.

Debate on the bill in a parliamentary education committee and the full house resulted in scuffles. Police also used tear gas this week to disperse people protesting the bill.