Turkey has a fascinating political history that has shaped its modern-day governing system. From the Ottoman Empire to the Republic of Türkiye, the country has undergone many changes. So what type of government does Turkey have today?
In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at the key aspects of Turkey’s government
A Republican Parliamentary Democracy
Turkey is officially defined as a unitary presidential republican parliamentary representative democratic constitutional republic. That’s quite a mouthful!
Let’s break it down – Turkey has a republican system, where the president is the head of state but the prime minister is the head of government. It’s also a parliamentary democracy with a Grand National Assembly that is democratically elected and holds legislative power.
The Executive Branch: President and Cabinet
The president of Turkey holds limited executive powers under the constitutional republic. After being directly elected by citizens, the president appoints the prime minister who then forms a cabinet.
The president can introduce legislation through presidential decrees, appoint judges, and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. However, the prime minister and cabinet hold most executive authority for implementing government policy and introducing legislation.
The prime minister is typically the leader of the political party that holds the most seats in parliament. They appoint the Council of Ministers who oversee the operations of government ministries and agencies.
The Legislative Branch: Grand National Assembly
The unicameral parliament of Turkey is called the Grand National Assembly. It holds the central legislative power, able to enact and amend laws.
There are 600 Members of Parliament who are elected every five years using a proportional representation system without thresholds. This means citizens vote for political parties who are allocated a percentage of seats based on their share of the national vote.
The parliament oversees the budget, can declare war, ratify treaties and start investigations into government activities. It elects the Constitutional Court judges and has the power to impeach the president if needed.
The Judiciary Branch: Constitutional and Civil Courts
Turkey has a civil law system where the judiciary is separate from the legislative and executive branches. The Constitutional Court examines the constitutionality of laws while the Court of Cassation is the highest appellate court for civil and criminal cases.
Lower specialized courts like family courts, labor courts and commercial courts operate at provincial and district levels. Unique to Turkey’s legal system is the Council of State, which handles administrative cases involving government bodies.
Judges are appointed by the president and High Council of Judges and Public Prosecutors from applicants who must pass exams and have legal qualifications.
Administrative Divisions
For local governance purposes, Turkey is divided into 81 provinces which are headed by appointed governors. Provinces contain districts, municipalities and villages that elect their own local decision-making bodies.
Provincial and municipal councils are responsible for local services like infrastructure, transport, and utilities. Local executives like mayors and district governors are elected alongside the councils.
A Complex Government for a Dynamic Nation
As you can see, Turkey operates a multifaceted governing system that combines aspects of parliamentary democracy and republicanism. This reflects its unique history positioned between Europe and the Middle East.
While the system appears inefficient, with power balanced delicately between the different branches, it has shown resilience in responding to an often rapidly changing political landscape.
From military coups to economic crises, Turkey’s hybrid model has adapted and evolved to suit the needs of its diverse, dynamic nation. The president, parliament and judiciary continue to cooperate in governing over 80 million citizens, albeit with occasional periods of instability.
Understanding the ins and outs of Turkey’s government provides fascinating insight into this bridge between continents and civilizations. The complex checks and balances aim to represent the different political and cultural forces within one of the world’s most vibrant countries.
Turkey Not Free 32 100
| PR Political Rights | 16 40 |
| CL Civil Liberties | 16 60 |
E Associational and Organizational Rights
| Is there freedom of assembly? | 1.001 4.004 |
Although freedom of assembly is theoretically guaranteed in Turkish law, authorities have routinely disallowed gatherings by government critics on security grounds in recent years, while progovernment rallies are allowed to proceed. Restrictions have been imposed on May Day celebrations by leftist and labor groups, protests by purge victims, and opposition party meetings. Police use force to break up unsanctioned protests. Pandemic-related rules on social distancing were often cited selectively to justify the dispersal of unauthorized demonstrations during 2020.
Commemorations by Saturday Mothers, a group that protests forced disappearances associated with a 1980 coup d’état, have been routinely broken up by police; many participants, including elderly people, have been arrested. In July 2020, riot police prevented the group from gathering publicly to mark the 25th anniversary of their first protests.
The government has also targeted LGBT+ events in recent years. Istanbul’s pride parade, which once drew tens of thousands of participants, was banned for the fifth consecutive year in 2019. Participants who tried to march faced tear gas and rubber bullets when police dispersed their gathering. Rallies were also banned in Ankara and the coastal city of Izmir. In 2020, pride events were organized entirely online.
| Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations, particularly those that are engaged in human rights– and governance-related work? | 1.001 4.004 |
The government has cracked down on NGOs since the 2016 coup attempt, summarily shutting down at least 1,500 foundations and associations and seizing their assets. The targeted groups worked on issues including torture, domestic violence, and aid to refugees and internally displaced persons. NGO leaders also face routine harassment, arrests, and prosecutions for carrying out their activities.
In July 2020, a court convicted four human rights defenders, including former Amnesty International Turkey chair Taner Kılıç, on groundless charges of aiding a terrorist organization; they were among several activists arrested in July 2017, most of whom were acquitted.
Osman Kavala, a prominent civil society leader and philanthropist, was arrested in November 2017 and charged in early 2019 with attempting to overthrow the government by supporting a protest in Istanbul’s Gezi Park in 2013. The indictment was heavily criticized by human rights organizations for lacking credible evidence. Kavala and 15 other defendants from Turkish civil society were finally put on trial in June 2019. In December of that year, the ECHR ruled that Kavala’s detention was unjustified and called for his release. He was acquitted in February 2020, but prosecutors immediately brought new charges against him and US academic Henri Barkey, accusing them, without evidence, of involvement in the 2016 coup attempt. The two were formally indicted in October; Kavala remained in custody at year’s end, while Barkey was facing trial in absentia.
| Is there freedom for trade unions and similar professional or labor organizations? | 1.001 4.004 |
Union activity, including the right to strike, is limited by law and in practice; antiunion activities by employers are common, and legal protections are poorly enforced. A system of representation threshold requirements make it difficult for unions to secure collective-bargaining rights. Trade unions and professional organizations have suffered from mass arrests and dismissals associated with the 2016–18 state of emergency and the general breakdown in freedoms of expression, assembly, and association. Union leaders were among those arrested while attempting to hold May Day demonstrations in 2020.
Turkey’s new presidential system explained
FAQ
What type of government is Turkey under?
Is Turkey a democratic country or a Republic?
Does Turkey have a strict government?
What political ideology is Turkey?
Does Turkey have a parliamentary system?
Suffrage is universal for citizens 18 years of age and older. Turkey is a presidential representative democracy and a constitutional republic within a pluriform multi-party system, in which the president (the head of state and head of government ), parliament, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government.
What is Turkey’s government system based on?
According to the Constitution, Turkey’s government system is based on a separation of powers. The Constitution states that the legislative power is vested in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (art. 7), that the executive power is carried out by the President of Turkey (art.
How did Turkey change from a parliamentary to a presidential system?
The Turkish Government conducted a referendum in 2017 in which voters approved constitutional amendments changing Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system. Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.
When did Turkey become a dictatorship?
1914-1918 – Turkey effectively becomes a military dictatorship during World War One, where the Ottoman Empire fights in alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary. 1915-1917 – Between 300,000 and 1.5 million Armenians are massacred or deported by the Ottoman government from their homeland in Anatolia to present-day Syria.