Handshakes involving women have a record of being problematic in Turkey ever since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002. In the early days of AKP rule, the paparazzi had a field day snapping photos of women’s hands left in midair when AKP members would refrain from shaking the women's hands. One of the most notable occasions was when former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s wife, Sare Davutoglu, experienced a moment of surprise when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son-in-law refused to shake hands with her; his action was seen as taking place for religious reasons.
The latest handshake controversy, however, is a variation on the recurrent theme, as this time, it was a liberal woman who refused to shake the hand of a man because he is an active supporter of the conservative AKP and Erdogan.
