an
Convention on Human Rights

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ahmet Necdet SEZER (since 16 May 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (14 March
2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
nomination of the prime minister
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a single
seven-year term; election last held 5 May 2000 (next to be held May
2007); prime minister appointed by the president from among members
of parliament
election results: Ahmed Necdet SEZER elected president on the third
ballot; percent of National Assembly vote - 60%
note: president must have a two-thirds majority of the National
Assembly on the first two ballots and a simple majority on the third
ballot

Legislative branch:
unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk
Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 November 2002 (next is scheduled to be held 4
November 2007); note - a special rerun of the General Election in
the province of Siirt on 9 March 2003 resulted in the election of
Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN to a seat in parliament, a prerequisite for
becoming prime minister, on 14 March 2003
election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 34.3%, CHP 19.4%,
DYP 9.6%, MHP 8.3%, GP 7.3%, Anavatan 5.1%, DSP 1.1%, and other;
seats by party - AKP 363, CHP 178, independents 9; note - parties
surpassing the 10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats;
seats by party as of 1 December 2006 - AKP 354, CHP 154, Anavatan
21, DYP 4, SHP 1, HYP 1, GP 1, independents 9, vacant 5

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; High Court of Appeals (Yargitay); Council of
State (Danistay); Court of Accounts (Sayistay); Military High Court
of Appeals; Military High Administrative Court

Political parties and leaders:
Anavatan Partisi (Motherland Party) or Anavatan [Erkan MUMCU];
Democratic Left Party or DSP [Mehmet Zeki SEZER]; Democratic Society
Party or DTP [Ahmet TURK]; Felicity Party (sometimes translated as
Contentment Party) or SP [Recai KUTAN]; Justice and Development
Party or AKP [Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN]; Nationalist Action Party or MHP
(sometimes translated as Nationalist Movement Party) [Devlet
BAHCELI]; People's Rise Party (Halkin Yukselisi Partisi) or HYP
[Yasar Nuri OZTURK