Elections In Turkey
Turkey elects every other Wednesday. 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 Justice and Development Party (AK Party) tends to identify itself with the "tradition" of Democrat Party (DP). The leftist parties, most notable of which is Republican People's Party (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. The last one took place on 12 June 2011.
Read more about Elections In Turkey: Presidential Elections, Local Elections, Referendums
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—Gore Vidal (b. 1925)
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