Tagged: Turkey

According to Paradisdachat, the government of Turkey is a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic. The current President of Turkey is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has held office since 2014. The Turkish government is composed of three branches: the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The executive branch of the government consists of the President, Vice President and Council of Ministers. The President is both head of state and head of government, and is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The Vice President is appointed by the President and serves as his deputy in matters related to state affairs. The Council of Ministers consists of the Prime Minister and other ministers who are appointed by the President with approval from Parliament. The legislative branch comprises two houses: the Grand National Assembly (the lower house) and the Senate (the upper house). The Grand National Assembly has 550 members elected by popular vote for five-year terms, while the Senate has 55 members appointed by the President from among leading citizens from various professions or social backgrounds. Both chambers are responsible for debating and voting on bills proposed by either chamber or by the government. The judicial system in Turkey is independent from other branches of Government, with judges appointed by the High Judicial Council after consultation with the Ministry of Justice. There are several levels within this system including courts of first instance, appeals courts and a court of cassation which is responsible for hearing appeals from lower courts. Turkey also has a strong local government system consisting primarily of 81 provinces each headed by an elected Governor who is responsible for implementing national policies at a local level as well as managing local budgets. There are also municipal councils in each province which are responsible for managing their respective cities or townships. These councils have authority over matters such as urban planning, taxation, public works, health care services and education within their respective municipalities. Finally, Turkey also has an active civil society consisting mainly of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), trade unions and other associations that work to promote democracy through advocacy campaigns or providing humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations such as refugees or victims of natural disasters. Overall, Turkey has an effective multi-party political system that allows citizens to freely express themselves through regular elections held at both central and local levels under free and fair conditions every five years while preserving traditional customs within its various cultural groups living peacefully together in this Eurasian nation. Turkey’s foreign relations are complex, spanning numerous regions. Turkey is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Turkey has been a member of the European Union since 1963 and has had an active role in its foreign policy. Turkey is also a founding member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and a key actor in the Middle East. Ankara is currently building strong ties with many countries in Africa and Asia. Turkey has sought to balance its relationship with both East and West, especially after joining NATO in 1952. It has maintained good relations with Russia despite their differences in Syria. Turkey seeks to increase economic ties with Russia and other Eurasian countries such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan through creating regional trade blocs such as the Turkic Council. Turkey is also an important ally for the US in maintaining regional stability in the Middle East region by supporting US-led efforts against terrorism and providing military support for operations such as Operation Enduring Freedom. In addition to its involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen; it has also provided humanitarian aid to countries like Somalia and Bangladesh. Turkey has also sought to strengthen its relations with China by signing multiple free trade agreements that have increased bilateral trade between them significantly over recent years. Ankara is also investing heavily into Chinese infrastructure projects like high-speed railways. Additionally, Turkey’s close relationship with Qatar has led it to become one of Qatar’s most important trade partners due to investments from Turkish companies into Qatar’s economy following their 2017 diplomatic crisis with Saudi Arabia that resulted in Qatar’s isolation from other Gulf states. See recipesinthebox for Turkey defense and foreign policy.