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Friday 29th of March 2024, 12:31 CET |
The Turkish Election System |
November 4, 2002
Anatolia
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Posted by HW on March 29, 2024
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According to the Constitution, every Turkish citizen who is 18 years old has the right to establish a party, to join an established party, or to leave a political party. Persons who cannot become members of political parties are stated in the Constitution. In general terms, these are civil servants, judges and prosecutors, members of the Turkish Armed Forces and secondary education students.
Political parties are the essential elements of pluralist and participatory democratic life. They are formed without prior permission. To inform the Ministry of the Interior about a party which is established by a minimum number of 30 founding members who are qualified to be elected as a deputy, is enough for that party to acquire a juristic personality. The activities of the political parties are continued in the framework of the Constitution and laws. Activities of the political parties are required to be in conformity with the internal regulations of the parties and the principles of democracy.
Regulations, programs and activities of the political parties cannot be in conflict with the independence of the State, the indivisible integrity of the country and the nation, human rights and freedoms, the principles of equality and the legal state, national sovereignty and the principles of a democratic and secular Republic. They cannot aim to protect or establish any class or group dictatorship or any kind of dictatorship; they cannot encourage crimes to be committed. If the regulations and program of a party violate these principles, then the party can be closed. To close a political party due to its activities with the same reasons is only possible when it has been clearly revealed that the party has been the focus of activities having these attributes. The authority to determine this belongs to the Constitutional Court. Furthermore, the political parties which receive aid from foreign states, international institutions and real or juristic personalities who are not of Turkish origin can also be closed.
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The Constitutional Court decides to close a political party upon a case filed by the Republic Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals. These decisions are final. The closed party cannot be reestablished under a new name.
The Election System. Elections in Turkey are single stage elections. According to a proportional representation system, general, equal and secret ballot elections are held throughout the stage elections.
According to a proportional representation system, general, equal and secret ballot elections are held throughout the country on the same day. The elector uses his/her vote in full freedom. The counting and detailed presentation of votes and recording them is done publicly. Every province is an election area and every headman's office is an election precinct.
According to the election law in Turkey, every province is given one deputy from the 550 deputies. Subsequently, the total number of deputies remaining are divided by the population of each province and the number of deputies for the provinces is found. The remaining deputies are then distributed according to the size of the population. Provinces which have 1-18 deputies have one election area, provinces which have 19-35 deputies are divided into two election areas and provinces which have more than 36 deputies are divided into three election areas.
The system of obtaining 10 percent of the votes to enter into the Parliament is applied throughout the country. Parties which do not receive at least 10 percent of the votes throughout the country in general elections, and the parties which do not receive at least 10 percent of votes in regions where by-elections are held, do not have deputies. According to the election results, the d'Hondt system is applied for the sharing of deputies among the parties. |
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