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Further Reading

Turkey's Political System

The 1982 Constitution, drafted by the military in the wake of the 1980 coup, proclaimed Turkey's system of government as democratic, secular, and parliamentary. The presidency's powers were not precisely defined in practice, and the president's influence depended on his personality and political weight. The president and the Council of Ministers, led by the prime minister, share executive powers. The president, who had broad powers of appointment and supervision, would be chosen by Parliament for a term of 7 years and cannot be reelected. The prime minister would administer the government. The prime minister and the Council of Ministers were responsible to Parliament. As of May 2007, Turkey's parliament moved to adopt a constitutional amendment allowing for direct presidential elections, with 370 ministers of parliament in favor. The proposal to hold direct presidential elections would also allow Turkey's president to be elected for two five-year terms rather than one seven-year term. The proposal, based on France's two-round election system, stipulated that if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round, the two top names would compete in a second round

The current political system in Turkey was established following the September 1980 coup. Immediately following the coup, the military government arrested Turkey's leading politicians, dissolved the bicameral Grand National Assembly, declared martial law, and banned all political activity. In October 1981, all political parties then in existence were disbanded and their property and financial assets confiscated by the state. In April 1983, the Turkish National Security Council (NSC), a five-member collective body representing all branches of the armed forces, issued regulations for the formation of new political parties in anticipation of elections for a new single-chamber National Assembly to be held later that year. These new parties could have no ties to the disbanded parties.that year

Parties were invited to form so as to contest parliamentary elections later in the year but were required to receive approval from the military rulers. Of fifteen parties requesting certification, only three received approval: the Motherland Party (Anavatan Partisi--ANAP), the Populist Party (Halkçi Partisi--HP), and the Nationalist Democracy Party (Milliyetçi Demokrasi Partisi--MDP), the latter being the clear favorite of the military.

The NSC scheduled the first elections under the 1982 constitution for November 1983. The new National Assembly convened soon after the elections, and subsequently a civilian government consisting of a prime minister and a Council of Ministers was formed. In late 1983 and early 1984, the NSC turned over its executive and legislative functions to these new institutions.

The Turkish political system faced four distinct but intertwined challenges in the mid 1990's: accommodating the disaffected Kurdish ethnic minority; reconciling the growing differences, expressed with increasing stridency between the secular elite and groups using traditional Islamic symbols to manifest their opposition to the political status quo; establishing firm civilian control over the military, which had a long history of intervening in the political process; and strengthening weak democratic practices and institutions.

In the November 2002 election of Turkey's 58th government, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) captured 34.3% of the total votes, making Abdullah Gul Prime Minister, followed by the Republican People's Party (CHP) with 19.39% of the vote, led by Deniz Baykal. A special general election was held again in the province of Siirt in March 2003, resulting in the election of AKP's chairman Recep Tayyip Erdogan to a seat in Parliament, allowing him to become prime minister and solidifying AKP's position in Parliament.

The Turkish Grand National Assembly was to have elected in May 2007 a new president to succeed President Sezer, whose term ended on May 16. Opposition parties led a Constitutional Court challenge to the electoral procedures, which resulted in a series of proposed constitutional amendments and early general elections on 22 July 2007.

In the 22 July 2007 general elections, Turkish voters let three political parties - the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) - win seats in Parliament for the next five-year term. The AKP won another single-party turn in government with 46.6% of the vote. The CHP kept its place as the main opposition party in Parliament with 20.9% of the vote, while the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) got 14.3%, and independent candidates got 5.3%. When Parliament convened, one seat was vacant as Professor Mehmet Cihat Özönder, who was elected a deputy from MHP, died in a traffic accident in Ankara on July 26. Thus, 549 deputies are in the new parliament. Voter turnout was 84.16%.

The final results of the general elections of July 22 were published in the Official Gazette. According to the Supreme Board of Elections (YSK), some 35.8 million of 42.6 million eligible voters cast ballots throughout Turkey. The number of valid votes was 34.8 million.

The new Parliament (23rd term) convened for its first session on August 4. The new deputies were sworn in at this session and formally took office. Köksal Toptan, a deputy from the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, was elected the new Parliament speaker on August 9. A total of 535 deputies took part in the first round of voting. Toptan was elected Parliament Speaker with 450 votes, while his sole rival Tunca Toskay, a deputy from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), won 74. Eleven votes were invalid. Toptan will serve for two legislative years as the new Parliament Speaker.

On 13 August 2007, the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party nominated Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gül as its candidate to become president. Gül was nominated during the AK Party's Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting. Gül met opposition leaders on August 14, and the first round of the election was held six days later. In the first round of balloting in Parliament, Gül fell short of the 341 votes needed to be elected. Gül competed against the Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) Sebahattin Çakmakoglu and the Democratic Left Party's (DSP) Tayfun Gçli. Çakmakoglu secured 70 votes, while Gçli won just 13. The ballot was secret, but Gül appears to have secured the support of all 340 AK Party deputies and also that of Muhsin Yazicioglu, representative of the one-seat Grand Union Party (BBP).

With all parties other than the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) present, 448 deputies were in Parliament. The MHP and DSP deputies were there to support their candidates, while the Democratic Society Party (DTP) took part in the vote but apparently declined to support Gül. Since the president also could not be elected in the second round of balloting on August 24, a third round was held on August 28, making Abdullah Gül Turkey's 11th president.

Turkey's 10th President Ahmet Necdet Sezer designated Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to form the new government on 06 August 2007. President Sezer left the task to approve Turkey's new Cabinet to his successor, said Erdogan on August 16. Erdogan submitted the new Cabinet list to President Abdullah Gül on August 29. President Abdullah Gül approved the list of the 60th government members. The list of members of the 60th government is as follows: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Çiçek, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Hayati Yazici, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Nazim Ekren, State Minister Mehmet Aydin, State Minister Murat BaGesgioglu, State Minister KürGad Tüzmen, State Minister Nimet Çubukçu, State Minister Mehmet gimGek, State Minister Mustafa Said Yazicioglu, Justice Minister Mehmet Ali gahin, National Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül, Interior Minister BeGir Atalay, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, National Education Minister Hüseyin Çelik, Public Works and Housing Minister Faruk Nafiz Özak, Health Minister Recep Akdag, Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Mehmet Mehdi Eker, Labor and Social Security Minister Faruk Çelik, Industry and Trade Minister Mehmet Zafer Çaglayan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Güler, Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Günay, Environment and Forestry Minister Veysel Eroglu.

The program of the 60th government to be led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was read out in Parliament on 31 August 2007. Debate of the program began on September 3. A vote of confidence on the government took place on September 5. The 60th government won its vote of confidence in Parliament. Of 535 deputies taking part in the vote, 337 deputies voted in favor of the confidence motion and 197 voted against. Following Gul's move to the presidency, AKP seats in Parliament total 340; an MHP deputy died in August 2007, bringing the number of MHP members to 70; and the ban on a DTP deputy expired in July 2008, raising the number of DTP members to 21.

Nationwide local elections for provincial general assembly, municipal assembly, and mayoral positions were held March 29, 2009. AKP received 38.39% of the votes in provincial general assemblies and a similar percentage in municipal assemblies. CHP and MHP followed AKP with 23% and 15% respectively. AKP won 10 of 16 metropolitan municipality mayoralties. Though AKP won the elections, party leaders had hoped for a larger percentage of the vote. Prime Minister Erdogan reshuffled his cabinet on May 1, 2009.