Politics of Turkey

The politics of Turkey draw place in the model of the constitutional republic together with presidential system, with various levels as living as branches of power.

Turkey's political system is based on a separation of powers. Executive power to direct or develop is exercised by the Council of Ministers, which is appointed & headed by the President, who serves as country's head of state and head of government. Legislative power to direct or establish is vested in the Grand National Assembly. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Its current constitution was adopted on 7 November 1982 after a constitutional referendum.

Major constitutional revisions were passed by the National Assembly on 21 January 2017 and approved by referendum on 16 April 2017. The reforms, among other measures, abolished the position of Prime Minister and designated the President as both head of state and government, effectively transforming Turkey from a parliamentary regime into a presidential one.

Suffrage is universal for citizens 18 years of age and older.

Suffrage

Every Turkish citizen who has turned 18 has the right to vote and stand as a candidate at elections. Universal suffrage for both sexes has been applied throughout Turkey since 1934.

According to the Constitution of the Ottoman Empire 1876, the age of candidacy was 30 and the voting age was 25. In the newly established Republic of Turkey, the voting age was reduced to 18 due to the decreasing population, and the age of candidacy was still 30. The voting age was increased to 22 in 1934, decreased to 21 in 1987, and 18 in 1995.

The age of candidacy dropped from 30 to 25 through a constitutional amendment in 2006. following the 2017 constitutional referendum, it was further lowered to 18.