0Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party campaigned for re-election last year on a promise to lift a ban on head scarves, claiming the prohibition violated religious and personal freedoms. Upon victory, the government passed constitutional amendments to lift the ban.02br
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00But the court threw out the amendments Thursday, saying they violated Turkey's secular principles. The decision, which is final, threw up a heavy legal barrier to any further attempts to lift the ban and has deepened the divide between the Islamic-leaning government and secular institutions.02br
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00What's the meaning of 'institutions' in this context?02br
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00Thanks.0250hrefhttp://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/06/07/turkey.scarves.ap/index.html