Political system
Turkey is secular parliamentary representative democratic republic. Its Constitution was adopted in 1982 and has been amended several times since then. Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) is made up of 550 members elected every five years.
The head of state is the President. He is elected by a two thirds majority in the Turkish Grand National Assembly for a seven year term. The current President is Ahmet Necdet Sezer. He took up his office in the year 2000.
The head of state is the President. He is elected by a two thirds majority in the Turkish Grand National Assembly for a seven year term. The current President is Ahmet Necdet Sezer. He took up his office in the year 2000.
Turkey is divided in 81 provinces and 850 sub-provinces. In addition, there are 3200 municipalities and 16 metropolitan municipalities with a population of above 750,000. The main Metropolitan municipalities are: Istanbul (population of 10 018 735), Ankara (population of 4 386 410) and Izmir (population of 3 370 866).
Current political situation
The present government is formed by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and took up office following the November 2002 general election. The AKP and the Peoples Republican party (CHP) were the only parties to enter the parliament following the November 2002 elections. However, due to resignations and the transfer of deputies from the AKP and the CHP to other parties, the number of parties represented in Parliament has grown to seven. These are the AKP, the CHP, the True Path Party (DYP), the Peoples Ascent Party (HYP), the Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) and the Social Democractic People's Party (SHP).
According to the Constitution, unconditional and unrestricted sovereignty is vested in the nation. The people exercise their sovereignty directly through elections, and indirectly through the authorized organs within the framework of the principles laid down in the Constitution. The legislative, executive and judiciary are the organs which use sovereignty. The legislative power is vested in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) and cannot be delegated. Executive power and functions are exercised and carried out by the President of the Republic and the Council of Ministers, in conformity with the Constitution and the laws. Judicial power is exercised by independent courts.
In regional issues and international obligations, Turkey has expressed continued support for UN efforts to find a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. However, there has been no progress towards normalisation of bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus. Since signing the Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement in July 2005 Turkey has not moved towards its full implementation and the removal of all obstacles to the free movement of goods, including restrictions on direct transport links with Cyprus. At its June 2006 meeting, the European Council recalled that the Council would review implementation of the Additional Protocol in the course of 2006 and ensure follow-up to the issues included in the EU declaration of 21 September 2005.
Relations with Greece have evolved positively but no progress has been made in resolving the outstanding border disputes. At a meeting of Foreign Ministers of the two countries a new package of confidence-building measures was agreed. The good neighbourly relations remain the key.
Official name Republic of Turkey - Türkiye Cumhuriyeti
Population 72 m (2005)
Area 783562,0km²
Density 92 persons/km²
Distribution Urban 67%, Rural 33%.
Neighbours Armenia (268 km border), Azerbaijan (9), Bulgaria (240), Georgia (252) ,Greece (206), Iran (499), Iraq (331), Syria (882)
Religion Muslim: 99.8%; Christian, Jewish and others 0.2%
Life expectancy Average: 72.08, 68.9 (male), 73.8 (female)