Turkish Airlines fired a flight attendant over “revealing” photographs from her modeling career, a move that reflects both the airline’s ideological stance and a broader trend toward conservatism in Turkey.
On November 27, a Turkish Airlines flight attendant was laid off after “revealing” photographs from her work as a model emerged.
Zuhal Sengal, 31, was fired immediately after airline management found photographs of her wearing heavy makeup and dressed in low-cut tops in an Italian magazine. A video of the photo-shoot also emerged, in which Sengal wore a bikini and showed off her many tattoos.
Representatives from Turkish Airlines have been forthright about the decision to fire Sengal. An airline representative told Mail Online, “There are certain standards and qualities we expect from our staff and modeling is not one of them.”
This is not Turkish Airlines’ first move toward enforcing a conservative protocol. Last year, photographs of proposed female flight attendants’ uniforms emerged, sparking a small controversy. The uniforms, which would include “ankle-length dresses and Ottoman-style fez caps,” according to Al-Arabiya, were never implemented, but other policy changes did go into effect. Female staff members were told that bright lipstick, tattoos and high buns were forbidden. Airline representatives stated: “Simple make-up, immaculate and in pastel colors, is preferred for staff working in the service sector.”
These decisions represent a conscious decision on the part of Turkish Airlines management to maintain a more conservative image. Atilay Aycin, the president of Turkish Airlines’ Hava-Is labor union, said, “This new guideline is totally down to Turkish Airlines management’s desire to shape the company to fit its own political and ideological stance.”
Turkish Airlines’ new and conservative “political and ideological stance” reflects broader changes in Turkish politics and society. Turkey was founded in 1923 as a staunchly secular republic. With the rise of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, now the country’s president, Islamic values have been incorporated into public policy.
