Info
Electoral Systems
ES001
Head of State
Question: How is the Head of State selected?
Answer(s):
c . Directly elected in general elections (absolute majority with 2nd round if necessary)
Comments: The Turkish Constitution was amended in 2007 to allow Presidential elections by the people.
The President of the Republic shall be elected directly by the public from among Turkish citizens who are eligible to be deputies, who are over forty years of age and who have completed higher education. The President of the Republic’s term of office shall be five years. A person may be elected as President of the Republic for two terms at most.
Political party groups, political parties which have received more than five percent of the valid votes in sum alone or jointly in the latest parliamentary elections, or a hundred thousand electorates may nominate a candidate for Presidency.
If a deputy is elected as President, his/her membership of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey shall cease.
In presidential elections conducted by universal suffrage, the candidate who receives the absolute majority of the valid votes shall be elected President of the Republic. If this majority cannot be obtained in the first ballot, the second ballot shall be held on the second Sunday following this ballot. The first two top rated candidates in first ballot shall run for the second, and the candidate who receives the majority of valid votes shall be elected President of the Republic.
If one of the candidates who is entitled to run for the second ballot is unable to participate in the election for any reason whatsoever, the second ballot shall be conducted by substituting the vacant candidacy in conformity with the ordering constituted in the first ballot. where only one candidate remains for the second ballot, this ballot shall be conducted as a referendum. Should the candidate receive the majority of the valid votes, he/she shall be elected the President of the Republic. If that candidate cannot receive the majority of the valid votes in election, only presidential election is renewed.
The term of office of the incumbent President of the Republic shall continue until the President-elect takes the office.
Other procedures and principles concerning presidential elections shall be regulated by law
In presidential elections conducted by universal suffrage, the candidate who receives the absolute majority of the valid votes shall be elected President of the Republic. If this majority cannot be obtained in the first ballot, the second ballot shall be held on the second Sunday following this ballot. The two candidates who receive the greatest number of votes in first ballot run for the second ballot, and the candidate who receives majority of valid votes shall be elected President of the Republic.
Source: Unofficial Translation Of The Amendments To The Constitution, art. 101: http://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-REF(2017)005-e
Verified: 2016/01/21
ES002
Head of Government
Question: How is the Head of Government selected?
Answer:
b . Directly elected in general elections, absolute majority (with 2nd round if necessary)
Comments: The Turkish Constitution was amended in 2017 that fused the role of the head of government and the head of the state in one person: the president. The amendment removed the post of Prime Minister.
If the simple majority is not obtained in the first round of Presidential elections, a second round of voting is held according to procedure stated in Article 101.
Source: Unofficial Translation Of The Amendments To The Constitution, art. 77: http://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-REF(2017)005-e
Verified: 2018/06/07
ES003
President
Question: Does the country have a president?
Answer:
a . Yes
Comments: Executive power and function shall be exercised and carried out by the President of the Republic in conformity with the Constitution and laws.
Source: Unofficial Translation Of The Amendments To The Constitution, art. 8: http://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-REF(2017)005-e
Verified: 2016/01/21
ES004
Number of Chambers
Question: The national legislature consists of (one/two chambers):
Answer:
a . One chamber
Comments: The Grand National Assembly of Turkey shall be composed of six hundred deputies elected by universal suffrage.
Source: Unofficial Translation Of The Amendments To The Constitution, art. 75: http://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-REF(2017)005-e
Verified: 2016/01/21
ES005
Electoral System (Chamber 1)
Question: What is the electoral system for Chamber 1 of the national legislature?
Answer(s):
g . List Proportional Representation
Comments: The method of proportional representation with general, equal and secret ballot shall be used.
Source: Parliamentary Elections Law, art. 2: http://www.legislationline.org/download/action/download/id/1310/file/bbf6e67f60e5492350474eaa9e9a.pdf
Verified: 2016/01/21
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