Politics of Turkey

Overview

As a predominantly Moslem country with a full fledged democracy, the medical tourism destination of Turkey is something of an oddity in the Islamic world. It has many the elements of a Western style democratic power – a free press, human rights, freedom of speech and religion, and separation of church and state. Turkey’s democratic birth arose from within, and was not imposed from outside, nor was it a remaining vestige of colonial rule.   

Parliamentary Democracy

The political system here is based on a parliamentary democracy model.  The President is the head of state, and is elected by members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.  He is, in theory at least, vested with many important powers, and is supposed to be a symbol of the nation. The President is elected for a seven year term.  In recent years, some Presidents have tried to broaden the scope of their powers, and this has resulted in some criticism of the office.  

The President appoints the Prime Minister who is the real executive head of the government.  This person is normally the head of the largest party in parliament, or the head of a coalition of parties.  

The Grand National Assembly consists of members representing 81 provinces, who are each elected for five-year terms.  The country has numerous parties which are free to contest elections, although parties espousing separatist or anti secular ideology can be banned.  The prominent parties in Turkey are the Justice and Development Party, the Republican People’s Party and the Nationalist Movement Party.  Of these, the Republican People‘s Party, under Ataturk faced little opposition until WWII, after which it lost power to the Democratic Party.