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