Elections in Turkey

Turkey elects on the national level a legislature. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ("Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi") has 550 members, elected for a four year term (five years before the 2007 referendum) by a system based on proportional representation. To participate in the distribution of seats, a party must obtain at least 10% of the votes cast at the national level as well as a percentage of votes in the contested district according to a complex formula . The president was elected for a seven year term by the parliament prior to the 2007 constitutional changes, and will be elected for at most two five-year terms by the people in the future. Turkey has a multi-party system, with two or three strong parties and often a fourth party that is electorally successful. Since 1950, parliamentary politics has been dominated by conservative parties. Even the ruling AKP, although its core is accused of cadring root from the Islamist current, tends to identify itself with the "tradition" of DP. The leftist parties, most notable of which is CHP, draw much of their support from big cities, coastal regions, professional middle-class, civil service, military officers and the religious minority of Alevi.

The Turkish general election, 2007 were held on 22 July 2007.

General elections

Latest election

The results of the parliamentary elections of July 22, 2007 are as follows:

*Note: The age of candidacy was lowered to 25 ahead of this election, which might make this the first Turkish election to produce MPs below the age of 30.

Past elections

In brief

* July 21, 1946 Total: 465
# CHP: 396 seats,
# DP: 62 seats,
# Independent: 7 seats.

* May 24, 1950 - Total: 539
# DP: 470
# CHP: 69
* May 2, 1954 - Total: 541
# DP: 502
# CHP: 31
# CMP: 5
# Independent: 3

* October 27, 1957 - Total: 610
# DP: 424
# CHP: 178
# CMP: 4
# HP: 4

* October 15, 1961 - Total: 450
# CHP: 173
# AP: 158
# YTP: 65
# CMKP: 54

* October 10, 1965 - Total: 450
# AP: 240
# CHP: 134
# MP: 31
# YTP: 19
# TİP: 14
# CMKP: 11
# Independent: 1

* October 12, 1969 - Total: 450
# AP: 256
# CHP: 143
# GP: 15
# BP: 8
# MP: 6
# YTP: 6
# TİP: 2
# MHP: 1
# Independent: 13

* October 14, 1973 - Total: 450
# CHP: 185
# AP: 149
# MSP: 48
# DP: 45
# CGP: 13
# MHP: 3
# TBP: 1
# Independent: 6

* June 5, 1977 - Total: 450
# CHP: 213
# AP: 189
# MSP: 24
# MHP: 16
# CGP: 3
# DP: 1
# Independent: 4

* November 6, 1983 - Total: 399
# ANAP: 211
# HP: 117
# MDP: 71

* November 29, 1987 - Total: 450
# ANAP: 292
# SHP: 99
# DYP: 59

* November 20, 1991 - Total: 450
# DYP: 178
# ANAP: 115
# SHP: 88
# RP: 62
# DSP: 7
* [http://www.belgenet.net/ General election results 1954-2002] tr icon

Presidential elections

* Turkish presidential election, 2007 - to elect the successor to Ahmet Necdet Sezer
* Turkish presidential election, 2000 - to elect the successor to Süleyman Demirel

Local elections

* September 3, 1950
** DP: 560 municipalities,
** CHP : 40 municipalities.

* April 18, 1999

* March 28, 2004
** [AK Party (Turkey)] : 41.6%,
** CHP : 18.2%
** MHP : 10.4%
** DYP : 9.9%

* Next election: 2009

ee also

* Electoral calendar
* Electoral system

External links

* [http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/t/turkey/ Adam Carr's Election Archive]
* [http://www.parties-and-elections.de/turkey.html Parties and elections]
* [http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?action=html&documentId=813250&portal=hbkm&source=externalbydocnumber&table=F69A27FD8FB86142BF01C1166DEA398649 European Court of Human Rights decision on the threshold]