Official name
Republic of Turkey
Form of state
Parliamentary republic
Legal system
Based on European models and constitution of 1982
National legislature
Unicameral Meclis (parliament) of 550 members directly elected for a four-year term
Electoral system
Universal direct suffrage over the age of 18. Only parties with more than 10% of the national vote are eligible for seats in parliament. Individuals may run as independents
National elections
July 22nd 2007; next election July 2011
Head of state
The current president, Abdullah Gul, was elected by parliament for a single seven-year term in August 2007, but the subsequent introduction of election by universal direct suffrage and a maximum of two consecutive five-year terms makes the timing of the next presidential election uncertain
National government
The present government is formed by the Justice and Development Party (AKP)
Main political parties
Islamist-liberal: Justice and Development Party (AKP); Islamist: Prosperity Party (Saadet, SP); centre-right: Motherland Party (Anap), Democrat Party (DP); centre-left: Republican People's Party (CHP), Social Democrat Populist Party (SHP), Democratic Left Party (DSP); nationalist right: Nationalist Action Party (MHP); pro-Kurdish: Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), the successor of the banned Democratic Society Party (DTP). In the 2007 election the AKP, CHP/DSP and MHP exceeded the 10% national vote threshold. Members of the DTP and two other parties were elected as independents
Council of Ministers
Prime minister: Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Deputy prime ministers & ministers of state:
;Bulent Arinc
;Ali Babacan (Economy)
;Cemil Cicek
Ministers of state
Mehmet Aydin Mehmet Zafer Caglayan
Egemen Bagis Faruk Celik
Hayati Yazici Cevdet Yilmaz
Faruk Nafiz Ozak Selma Aliye Kavaf
Key ministers
Agriculture & rural affairs: Mehmet Mehdi Eker
Culture & tourism: Ertugrul Gunay
Defence: Vecdi Gonul
Education: Nimet Cubukcu
Employment & social security: Omer Dincer
Energy & natural resources: Taner Yildiz
Environment & forestry: Veysel Eroglu
Finance: Mehmet Simsek
Foreign affairs: Ahmet Davutoglu
Health: Recep Akdag
Interior: Besir Atalay
Justice: Sadullah Ergin
Public works & housing: Mustafa Demir
Tourism & culture: Ertugrul Gunay
Trade & industry: Nihat Ergun
Transport: Binali Yildirim
Central Bank governor
Durmus Yilmaz