Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
conventional short form: Turkey
local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
local short form: Turkiye

Data code: TU

Government type: republican parliamentary democracy

Capital: Ankara

Administrative divisions: 80 provinces (iller, singular--il);
Adana, Adiyaman, Afyon, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya,
Ardahan, Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik,
Bingol, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum,
Denizli, Diyarbakir, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir,
Gazi Antep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Icel, Igdir,
Isparta, Istanbul, Izmir, Kahraman Maras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars,
Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli,
Konya, Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir,
Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanli Urfa, Siirt,
Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van,
Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak
note: Karabuk, Kilis, Osmaniye and Yalova are the four newest
provinces; the US Board on Geographic Names is awaiting an official
Turkish administrative map for verification of the boundaries

Independence: 29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman
Empire)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Declaration of the Republic,
29 October (1923)

Constitution: 7 November 1982

Legal system: derived from various European continental legal
systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Suleyman DEMIREL (since 16 May 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Bulent ECEVIT (since 11 January
1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
nomination of the prime minister
note: there is also a National Security Council that serves as an
advisory body to the president and the cabinet
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
seven-year term; election last held 16 May 1993 (next scheduled to
be held NA May 2000); prime minister and deputy prime minister
appointed by the president
election results: Suleyman DEMIREL elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote--54%

Legislative branch: unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey
or Turkiye Buyuk Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to se