Electoral cycle of Turkey
The Electoral cycle of Turkey is composed of three different types of elections, namely general elections every five years, local elections every five years and presidential elections every five years. Occasionally, referendums may be held if at least 360 Members of Parliament in the Grand National Assembly vote in favour of a constitutional amendment. Elections are overseen by the Supreme Electoral Council of Turkey.
Elections
A summary of the purpose of each type of election is as follows.
- general elections in order to elect 600 Members of Parliament to the Grand National Assembly using the D'Hondt method, a party-list proportional representation system. Held every five years (last held 24 June 2018; next one scheduled for 2023)
- local elections in order to elect metropolitan and municipal mayors, as well as provincial and municipal mayors councillors. Held every five years (last held: 31 March 2019, next one scheduled for 2024)
- presidential elections, in order to elect the President of Turkey using a two-round system. Held every five years (last held: 24 June 2018; next one scheduled for 2023)
- Referenda, held if three-fifths (360) of the members of parliament vote in favour of a constitutional change that is then put to the electorate (last held: 16 April 2017)
Historical changes
The 2007 constitutional referendum brought about significant changes to the Turkish electoral system, lowering the parliamentary terms from five years to four. As a result, general elections are now held every four years rather than five. Furthermore, the constitutional changes adopted in the referendum made the President elected by direct ballot rather than indirectly within parliament as had previously been the case. Before 2014, presidential elections were held every seven years by MPs, but are now held directly every five years. The incumbent may seek re-election once for a maximum of two terms, whereas the term limit for previous presidents elected indirectly were capped at one term.
With 2017 referendum, Turkey adopted semi-presidential republic system. Parliamentary terms reverted into five years, prime ministry dissolved and MP numbers increased.
Electoral cycle since 1923
| Turkish electoral cycle, 1923-1941 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| General | 28 June 1923 CHP majority (single party) |
20 July 1927 CHP majority (single party) |
25 April 1931 CHP majority (single party) |
8 February 1935 CHP majority (single party) |
26 March 1939 CHP majority (single party) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Local | 1930 CHP majority (single party) |
1934 CHP majority (single party) |
1938 CHP majority (single party) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Presidential | 29 October 1923 (indirect) Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (CHP) |
1 November 1927 (indirect) Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (CHP) |
4 May 1931 (indirect) Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (CHP) |
1 March 1935 (indirect) Atatürk (CHP) |
11 Nov 1938 (indirect) İ. İnönü (CHP) |
3 Apr 1939 (indirect) İsmet İnönü (CHP) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turkish electoral cycle, 1942-1960 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| General | 28 February 1943 CHP majority (single party) |
21 July 1946 CHP majority |
14 May 1950 DP majority |
2 May 1954 DP majority |
27 October 1957 DP majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Local | 1942 CHP majority (single party) |
26 May 1946 CHP majority |
13 Aug-15 Oct 1950 DP majority |
25 Sep-13 Nov 1955 DP majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Presidential | 8 March 1943 (indirect) İsmet İnönü (CHP) |
5 August 1946 (indirect) İsmet İnönü (CHP) |
22 May 1950 (indirect) Celal Bayar (DP) |
14 May 1954 (indirect) Celal Bayar (DP) |
1 November 1957 (indirect) Celal Bayar (DP) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turkish electoral cycle, 1961-1979 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| General | 15 October 1961 CHP-AP coalition |
10 October 1965 AP majority |
12 October 1969 AP majority |
14 October 1973 Indept.-AP-CGP coalition |
5 June 1977 CHP minority government | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Local | 17 November 1963 AP victory |
2 June 1968 AP victory |
9 December 1973 CHP victory |
11 December 1977 CHP victory | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Presidential | 29 October 1961 (indirect) Cemal Gürsel (independent) |
28 March 1966 (indirect) Cevdet Sunay (independent) |
6 April 1973 (indirect) Fahri Korutürk (independent) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senate | 15 Oct 1961 AP lead |
7 June 1964 AP victory |
5 June 1966 AP victory |
2 June 1968 AP victory |
14 Oct 1973 CHP victory |
12 Oct 1975 CHP victory |
7 June 1977 CHP victory |
14 Oct 1979 AP victory | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Referenda | 9 July 1961 YES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turkish electoral cycle, 1980-1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| General | 6 November 1983 ANAP majority |
29 November 1987 ANAP majority |
20 October 1991 DYP-SHP coalition |
24 December 1995 ANAP-DYP coalition | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Local | 25 March 1984 ANAP victory |
26 March 1989 SHP victory |
27 March 1994 DYP victory | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Presidential | 12 March 1980-11 September 1980 (indirect) None (unsuccessful elections) |
31 October 1989 (indirect) Turgut Özal (ANAP) |
16 May 1993 (indirect) Süleyman Demirel (DYP) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Referenda | 7 November 1982 YES |
6 Sep 1987 YES |
25 September 1988 NO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turkish electoral cycle, 1999-2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||
| General | 18 April 1999 DSP-MHP-ANAP coalition |
3 November 2002 AKP majority |
22 July 2007 AKP majority |
12 June 2011 AKP majority |
7 June 2015 Hung parliament 1 November 2015 AKP majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Local | 18 April 1999 DSP victory |
28 March 2004 AKP victory |
29 March 2009 AKP victory |
30 March 2014 AKP victory | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Presidential | 5 May 2000 (indirect) Ahmet Necdet Sezer (cross-party) |
28 August 2007 (indirect) Abdullah Gül (AKP) |
10 August 2014 Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (AKP) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Referenda | 21 October 2007 YES |
12 September 2010 YES |
16 April 2017 YES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turkish electoral cycle, 2018 onwards | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | ||||||
| General | 24 June 2018 People's Alliance majority |
Next | ||||||||||
| Local | 31 March 2019 AKP victory | |||||||||||
| Presidential | 24 June 2018 Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (AKP) |
Next | ||||||||||
| Referenda | ||||||||||||