The president of Turkey, officially the president of the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanı), is the
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...
and
head of government
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, ...
of
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
. The president directs the executive branch of the
national government and is the commander-in-chief of the
Turkish military
The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK) are the armed forces, military forces of the Turkey, Republic of Turkey. Turkish Armed Forces consist of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, General Staff, the Turki ...
. The president also heads the
National Security Council.
The office of the president of Turkey was established with the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey on 29 October 1923, with the first president and founder being
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
The president of Turkey is referred to as ("Republic leader"), and previously archaically as or , also meaning "head of the republic/people". Insulting the Turkish president is prohibited by
Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code, including founder Atatürk which has its own separate law.
Traditionally, the presidency was mostly a ceremonial position, with real executive authority being exercised by the
prime minister of Turkey. However, constitutional amendments approved in the 2017 constitutional referendum abolished the office of prime minister, and vested the presidency with full executive powers, effective upon the
2018 general election.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is the 12th and current president of Turkey, who has held the office since 28 August 2014. Since 9 July 2018, Erdoğan has served as the first president under the new
executive system of government. The president is directly elected by eligible Turkish voters for a five-year term, renewable once.
Qualifications
In order to become the president of Turkey, the candidate must have completed higher education, and be of at least forty years of age. If they are a member of the
Turkish Grand National Assembly
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( tr, ), usually referred to simply as the TBMM or Parliament ( tr, or ''Parlamento''), is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Const ...
, they must resign their seat.
In the past, Turkish presidents were required to sever all relations, if any, with their political party. This convention existed to ensure the president's impartiality in presiding over the Turkish constitutional system. However, the presidency's reorientation in 2017 into a chief executive office abolished this convention, given a president's assumption of office as winners of a partisan electoral contest.
Election
After the 2007 constitutional amendment
According to the constitutional amendments approved in the
2007 referendum, the president is elected by the public, among candidates who are at least forty years old, have completed higher education, and are eligible to be elected as a member of the
Grand National Assembly Great National Assembly or Grand National Assembly may refer to:
* Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, an assembly of Romanian delegates that declared the unification of Transylvania and Romania
* Great National Assembly (Socialist Republic of R ...
.
The election of the president must begin at least 30 days before the term of office of the incumbent president expires or 10 days after the presidency falls vacant, and must be completed within 30 days of the beginning of the election.
Before the 2007 constitutional amendment
Before the constitutional amendments approved in the
2007 referendum, the
Grand National Assembly Great National Assembly or Grand National Assembly may refer to:
* Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, an assembly of Romanian delegates that declared the unification of Transylvania and Romania
* Great National Assembly (Socialist Republic of R ...
would elect one of its members as the President.
Term of office
The president is elected for a term of office of five years and is eligible for one re-election. An exception exists when a president's term ends with a parliamentary decision (i.e., impeachment and removal from office). In this case, the president may be re-elected for an additional term, with the incomplete term not counting against the two-term limit. The term of the incumbent president continues until the President-elect takes office. Before the constitutional amendment approved in the
2007 referendum, the President used to be elected for a single seven-year term.
On assuming office, the president takes the following oath before the
Grand National Assembly Great National Assembly or Grand National Assembly may refer to:
* Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, an assembly of Romanian delegates that declared the unification of Transylvania and Romania
* Great National Assembly (Socialist Republic of R ...
:
I swear upon my honor and integrity, before the great Turkish Nation, to safeguard the existence and independence of the state, the indivisible integrity of the country and the nation, and the absolute sovereignty of the nation; to remain loyal to the supremacy of law, to the democratic and secular republic, and to Atatürk’s principles and reforms; not to deviate from the ideal according to which everyone is entitled to enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms under the notion of peace and prosperity in society, national solidarity and justice, and loyalty to the Constitution.
The oath is broadcast live on TBMM-TV regardless of it is a regular business day of the
Grand National Assembly Great National Assembly or Grand National Assembly may refer to:
* Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, an assembly of Romanian delegates that declared the unification of Transylvania and Romania
* Great National Assembly (Socialist Republic of R ...
.
Duties and responsibilities
![Presidential_Palace_Main](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Presidential_Palace_Main.jpg)
* to deliver, when necessary, the opening address of the
Grand National Assembly Great National Assembly or Grand National Assembly may refer to:
* Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, an assembly of Romanian delegates that declared the unification of Transylvania and Romania
* Great National Assembly (Socialist Republic of R ...
on the first day of the legislative year,
* to summon the
Grand National Assembly Great National Assembly or Grand National Assembly may refer to:
* Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, an assembly of Romanian delegates that declared the unification of Transylvania and Romania
* Great National Assembly (Socialist Republic of R ...
to meet, when necessary,
* to promulgate laws or return laws to the
Grand National Assembly Great National Assembly or Grand National Assembly may refer to:
* Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, an assembly of Romanian delegates that declared the unification of Transylvania and Romania
* Great National Assembly (Socialist Republic of R ...
to be reconsidered (i.e. veto),
* to appeal to the
Constitutional Court
A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ...
for the annulment of laws or certain provisions thereof, and the Rules of Procedure of the parliament on the grounds that they are unconstitutional in form or in content,
* to appoint and dismiss the
Vice President of Turkey
The vice president of Turkey, officially the vice president of the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanı Yardımcısı), is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the government of Turkey, after the Presi ...
and
public ministers,
* to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the
Turkish Armed Forces
The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK) are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. Turkish Armed Forces consist of the General Staff, the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Forces. The current Chi ...
, on behalf of the Grand National Assembly, and defend Turkey's sovereignty and territorial integrity,
* to appoint high-ranking officers of the
Turkish Armed Forces
The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK) are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. Turkish Armed Forces consist of the General Staff, the Land Forces, the Naval Forces and the Air Forces. The current Chi ...
, including the
Chief of the Turkish General Staff, and regulate the procedure and principles governing the appointment thereof by executive order,
* to appoint
ambassadors of Turkey to foreign states, and to receive
foreign ambassadors appointed to Turkey,
* to negotiate, conclude, ratify and promulgate
international treaties
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal pers ...
,
* to submit to a referendum, when necessary, legislation regarding amendment of the
Constitution of Turkey,
* to commute or pardon criminal sentences imposed on persons, on grounds of chronic illness, disability, or old age,
* to call new elections to the Grand National Assembly (by ordering its dissolution) and the presidency, thereby relinquishing the term currently being served,
* to deliver a budget proposal to the
Grand National Assembly Great National Assembly or Grand National Assembly may refer to:
* Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, an assembly of Romanian delegates that declared the unification of Transylvania and Romania
* Great National Assembly (Socialist Republic of R ...
for approval (if not approved within due period, the previous year's budget will be into effect adjusted as per the annual interest rate),
* to call and preside over the
National Security Council of Turkey,
* to proclaim the state of emergency, subject to the approval of the
Grand National Assembly Great National Assembly or Grand National Assembly may refer to:
* Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, an assembly of Romanian delegates that declared the unification of Transylvania and Romania
* Great National Assembly (Socialist Republic of R ...
(in a state of emergency, the presidential decree requires parliamentary approval),
* to sign executive orders, which may not regulate fundamental rights included in Constitution and matters which the Constitution stipulates to be regulated exclusively by statute, or matters explicitly regulated by statute, (The statute prevails in the case of it conflicts with an executive order and the executive order becomes null and void if the
parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
enacts a law on the same matter.)
* to appoint the members and the chairman of, and instruct the
State Supervisory Council, to carry out inquiries, investigations, and inspections,
* to appoint twelve of the fifteen members of the
Constitutional Court
A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ...
, one-fourth of the members of the
Council of State
A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...
, the Chief Public Prosecutor and the Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor of the
Court of Cassation
A court of cassation is a high-instance court that exists in some judicial systems. Courts of cassation do not re-examine the facts of a case, they only interpret the relevant law. In this they are appellate courts of the highest instance. In th ...
and four out of 13 members of the
Council of Judges and Prosecutors
The Council of Judges and Prosecutors ( tr, Hâkimler ve Savcılar Kurulu), HSK; previously named as Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors ( tr, Hâkimler ve Savcılar Yüksek Kurulu) is the disciplinary body of the legal system of the Republic o ...
.
The president performs also the duties of selection and appointment, and other duties conferred by the
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these princ ...
and statutes.
Accountability and non-accountability
After the 2017 constitutional amendment
2017 constitutional referendum extended the president's accountability beyond
impeachment due to
high treason
Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
. According to the constitutional amendments approved in the referendum, the
Grand National Assembly Great National Assembly or Grand National Assembly may refer to:
* Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, an assembly of Romanian delegates that declared the unification of Transylvania and Romania
* Great National Assembly (Socialist Republic of R ...
may initiate an investigation of the president, the
vice president
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
or any member of the
Cabinet upon the proposal of simple majority of its total members, and within a period less than a month, the approval of three-fifths of the total members.
The investigation would be carried out by a commission of fifteen members of the
Assembly, each nominated by the political parties in proportion to their representation therein. The commission would submit its report indicating the outcome of the investigation to the
speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** I ...
within two months. If the investigation is not completed within this period, the commission's time renewed for another month. Within ten days of its submission to the speaker, the report would be distributed to all members of the
Assembly, and ten days after its distribution, the report would be discussed on the floor. Upon the approval of two-thirds of the total number of the
Assembly by secret vote, the person or persons, about whom the investigation was conducted, may be tried before the
Constitutional Court
A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ...
. The trial would be finalized within three months, and if not, a one-time additional period of three months shall be granted.
A president about whom an investigation has been initiated may not call for an
election
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
. A president who is convicted by the
Court
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in acco ...
would be removed from office.
The provision of this Article shall also apply to the offenses for which the president allegedly worked during his term of office.
Before the 2017 constitutional amendment
Before the
2017 constitutional referendum, the president was not accountable for its actions and orders, except for
impeachment due to
high treason
Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
. All presidential decrees, except those which the president is empowered to enact on his own, had to be signed by the
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
and the
minister concerned, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution and other laws. Thus, the prime minister and the concerned ministers were accountable for these decrees, not the president. The decisions and orders signed by the president on his own initiatives may not be appealed to any judicial authority, including the
Constitutional Court
A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ...
. The only accountability the president had was
impeachment for high treason on the proposal of at least one-third of the total number of the members of the
parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
and by the decision of at least three-fourths of the total number of the members.
Acting President
After the 2017 constitutional referendum
According to the constitutional amendments approved in the
2017 referendum, in the event of a temporary absence of the president on account of illness, travel abroad or similar circumstances, the
vice president of Turkey
The vice president of Turkey, officially the vice president of the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanı Yardımcısı), is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the government of Turkey, after the Presi ...
serves as Acting President, and exercises the powers of the president until the president comes back.
If the office of the presidency becomes vacant for any reason, the presidential election shall be held within forty-five days and in the meantime, the
vice president
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
shall act as and exercise the powers of the president until the next president is elected. If one year or less remains for the general election, the parliamentary election will be conducted at the same time. If more than a year remains, the newly elected president will continue to serve until the next general election.
Before the 2017 constitutional referendum
Before the constitutional amendments approved in the
2017 referendum, the
speaker of the Grand National Assembly served as Acting President in cases where the presidency is temporarily or permanently vacant and exercises presidential powers until the president returns to duty or the new president is elected within 45 days.
Latest election
See also
*
President of Northern Cyprus
The president of Northern Cyprus is the head of state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Rauf Denktaş was the first and founding president of Northern Cyprus, and retired in 2005. His position was taken over by Mehmet Ali Talat, fo ...
*
List of presidents of Turkey
*
Politics of Turkey
The politics of Turkey take place in the framework of a constitutional republic and presidential system, with various levels and branches of power.
Turkey's political system is based on a separation of powers. Executive power is exercised by ...
*
Official state car
An official state car is a vehicle used by a government to transport its head of state or head of government in an official capacity, which may also be used occasionally to transport other members of the government or visiting dignitaries from ot ...
*
Presidential Complex – official residence
*
Presidential Guard Regiment
*
List of cabinets of Turkey
References
External links
President's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:President Of Turkey
Government of Turkey
Heads of state of Turkey
1923 establishments in Turkey