Politics of Turkey

Lore & Background

Turkey's political system is based on a separation of powers. Executive power is exercised by the Council of Ministers, appointed and headed by the President, who serves as head of state and head of government. Legislative power is vested in the unicameral Grand National Assembly, which makes law, debates budgets, declares war, approves treaties, and can impeach government members. The judiciary is independent and includes the Constitutional Court, Court of Cassation, Council of State, and Court of Jurisdictional Disputes.

Reader's Guide

The 2017 constitutional reforms marked a significant shift in Turkish governance, abolishing the Prime Minister position and concentrating executive authority in the presidency. This change, approved by referendum on 16 April 2017, effectively transformed Turkey from a parliamentary system to a presidential one. The political landscape is characterized by a multi-party system with parties ranging from center-right to far-right and center-left to far-left. Major parties include the Justice and Development Party (AK PARTY), Republican People's Party (CHP), and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Elections are held for presidential, parliamentary, and local offices, with a 7% election threshold for parliamentary representation. The system remains highly centralized, though Turkey is obligated to implement the European Charter of Local Self-Government. The constitution is built on Kemalist principles including republicanism, nationalism, laicism, statism, and reformism, while mainstream parties often embrace nationalism, conservatism, or social democracy.

Did You Know?

• Major constitutional revisions in 2017 abolished the position of Prime Minister and designated the President as both head of state and government.