Politics of Turkey

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Politics of Turkey takes place in a framework of a strictly secular[1] parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Turkey is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. The President of Turkey is the head of state who holds a largely ceremonial role but with substantial reserve powers.

Turkey's political system is based on a separation of powers. Executive power is exercised by the Council of Ministers. Legislative power is vested in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Popularity of political leaders has an independent effect on party preference and Turkish politics.[2]

Political principles of importance in Turkey

The Turkish Constitution and most mainstream political parties are built on the following principles:

Other political ideas also influence Turkish politics. Of particular importance are:

These principles are the continuum around which various political parties and groups campaign.

Political parties and elections

For other political parties see List of political parties in Turkey. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in Turkey.

Since 1950, parliamentary politics has been dominated by conservative parties. Even the ruling AK Party, although its core cadres come from the Islamist current, tends to identify itself with the "tradition" of the Democratic Party (DP). The leftist parties, the most notable of which is the Republican People's Party (CHP), with a stable electorate, draw much of their support from big cities, coastal regions, professional middle-class, and minority groups such as Alevis.

The AK Party lacks the two-thirds majority in parliament necessary to push through constitutional changes.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Çarkoğlu, Ali (2004). Religion and Politics in Turkey. Routledge, UK. ISBN 0-415-34831-5.
  2. ↑ Gidengil, Elisabeth (September 15, 2014). "Which matters more in the electoral success of Islamist (successor) parties – religion or performance? The Turkish case". Party Politics. doi:10.1177/1354068814549341. Retrieved 2015-01-13.