Presidential Government System

The Presidential Government System is a presidential system model introduced in Türkiye through a constitutional amendment approved by referendum on 16 April 2017, in which executive power is directly vested in the President elected by the people. The system was officially implemented following the presidential and parliamentary general elections held on 24 June 2018.

Under the amendment made by Law No. 6771 on Amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, the office of Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers were abolished, and executive authority was transferred to the President. This was intended to establish a clear separation among the legislative, executive and judicial powers (Law No. 6771; Constitution Articles 8 and 104).^【1】

In the Presidential Government System, the President is both the head of state and the head of government. The President is elected by direct popular vote for a five-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms. In the event of early elections, the President may stand for re-election once (Constitution Articles 101 and 116).^【2】 The President may issue Presidential Decrees on matters relating to executive authority, but cannot issue decrees on fundamental rights and freedoms or areas that must be regulated by law (Constitution Article 104).^【3】

Ministers within the executive branch are appointed and dismissed by the President. The duties of ministries are regulated by Presidential Decrees (Constitution Article 104).^【4】 The organizational structure of the Presidency is established by Presidential Decree No. 1, which created policy councils and offices under the authority of the President.

The system also brought changes to the Parliament’s oversight mechanisms. The motion of censure was abolished and replaced with alternative oversight tools such as written questions and general debates. An investigation into the President may be initiated only upon the proposal of one-fifth of the members of the Grand National Assembly and with the approval of two-thirds of its members (Constitution Articles 106 and 105).^【5】

The system has been defended on grounds such as political stability, rapid decision-making and administrative efficiency, with the aims of clarifying the division of roles and powers between the legislature and the executive, ending the dual executive structure, and ensuring accountability in governance.

In the elections held on 24 June 2018, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan became the first President directly elected by the people under this system. Erdoğan won the presidency with 52.6 percent of the vote.^【6】

Different assessments have been made regarding the implementation of the system during the 2018–2025 period, with proposals developed to strengthen institutionalization, enhance legislative-executive relations and improve the functioning of the executive branch.