Politics of Turkey

Turkey is a constitutional republic with a presidential system. This structure uses a separation of powers to manage the nation. Power is divided into three distinct branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. The executive branch is led by the President. The President serves as both the head of state and the head of government. This person also acts as the commander-in-chief of the military.

The legislative branch is known as the Grand National Assembly. This is a unicameral parliament, which means it has only one chamber. It holds 600 seats that represent 81 different provinces. Members are elected to serve five-year terms. To enter parliament, a political party must meet a 7% election threshold. This means a party must win at least 7% of the national vote. Independent candidates can also run for seats.

The third branch is the judicial system. This system is independent from the executive and legislative branches. No person or institution may interfere with the work of the courts. Turkey does not use a jury system. Instead, judges make decisions by looking at evidence from lawyers and prosecutors. There are four supreme courts in the country. These include the Constitutional Court, the Court of Cassation, the Council of State, and the Court of Jurisdictional Disputes. The Constitutional Court reviews human rights and individual applications.

Turkey's political structure has undergone major changes. The current constitution was adopted on 7 November 1982. In 2017, the nation underwent significant constitutional revisions. These changes were passed by the National Assembly on 21 January 2017. They were then approved by a public referendum on 16 April 2017. These reforms abolished the position of Prime Minister. This shifted Turkey from a parliamentary regime to a presidential one. Now, the President holds the powers previously shared with a Prime Minister.

Political parties in Turkey operate within a multi-party system. Since World War II, the country has used many different parties. Some parties have been on the center-right, such as the Motherland Party. Others have been on the center-left, like the Republican People's Party. The Justice and Development Party, or AK Party, has been in power since 2002. In May 2023, President Erdoğan won re-election. Political parties receive funding from donations and the Treasury. Parties that pass the 7% threshold receive 0.04% of general budget revenues each year.

Many different principles guide Turkish politics. These include Kemalism, which is based on the "Six Arrows." Other important ideas are republicanism, nationalism, and laicism. Political groups may also focus on conservatism or social democracy. Some parties emphasize Turkish nationalism, while others focus on Kurdish nationalism. These ideas create a spectrum of different political views. These principles often influence how officials behave during official ceremonies.

Voting rights have changed throughout Turkish history. In the 1876 Ottoman Constitution, the voting age was 25. After the Republic was established, the voting age was lowered to 18 to account for a smaller population. Universal suffrage for both men and women began in 1934. Since then, the voting age has fluctuated. It was 22 in 1934, 21 in 1987, and 18 in 1995. Following the 2017 reforms, the age to be a candidate was also lowered to 18.

Finally, Turkey is connected to many international organizations. It was an early member of the Council of Europe in 1950. It also joined the EU Customs Union in 1995. In 2005, Turkey began full membership negotiations with the European Union. These connections influence how Turkey manages its local government. The Council of Europe requires Turkey to follow the European Charter of Local Self-Government. This helps shape how the centralized political system interacts with the rest of the world.