Political Parties and Election System
In conformity with conditions set forth in the law, every Turkish citizen upon the age of 18 has the right to vote, to be elected, and to engage in political activities independently or in a political party, and to take part in referendums.
Privates and corporals serving in the armed services, students in military schools, and convicts in penal institutions cannot vote.
Elections in Turkey are single stage. According to a proportional representation system, general, equal and secret ballot elections are held throughout the country on the same day under judicial administration and supervision. The related law outlines the requirements for Turkish citizens living abroad to vote. The voter casts his vote in full freedom. The counting, recording, and detailed presentation of votes are done publicly. Every province is an election area and every alderman's office is an election precinct.
According to the election law in Turkey , parties obtaining 10 percent of the votes throughout the country in general elections enter parliament.
Citizens over 18 years of age have the right to form political parties, and to join and withdraw from them in accordance with established procedure.
Judges and prosecutors, members of higher judicial organs, teaching staff at institutions of higher education, members of the Higher Education Council, civil servants in public organizations and corporations, and other public employees not regarded as workers on account of the duties they perform, students, and members of the Armed Forces, shall not become members of political parties.
Prior permission to form a political party is not required. Parties are allowed to function freely in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and related laws which state that the internal workings and decisions of political parties must conform to democratic precepts.
A political party consists of its central organs, provincial and country organizations, and the party group in Parliament. All political parties must establish headquarters in Ankara . In order to establish a political party, the signatures of at least 30 Turkish citizens, eligible for election to Parliament, are required. The highest authority within the political party is its general council. The central organization consists of the general council, the leader of the party, the central decision-making and executive boards, and the disciplinary board and its caucus.
The Results of The General Elections (22 July 2007)
Participation rate in the early general elections on July 22 was 84.25 %. AKP, CHP and MHP won 46.58, 20.88 and 14.27 percent respectively of the valid 35.049.691 votes and thus entered the Parliament as the three political parties passing 10 % country threshold. Moreover, 26 independent deputy candidates qualified for entering the Parliament.
13 DSP deputies, who participated in the elections in the common list with CHP, left the said party and joined DSP. 20 of the independent deputies joined DTP, an independent deputy joined BBP and a deputy joined ÖDP.
Thus, in the Parliament, four parties are able to form groups by having more than 20 deputies and a total of seven parties are represented.
As of November 2007, AKP has 341 deputies, CHP 98, MHP 70, DTP 20 and DSP 13. BBP and ÖDP have one deputy each. The number of independent deputies has dropped to five.
On 29 August 2007, the AK Party Chairmen, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, formed the new (60th) government of Turkey.
