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Türkiye
Women in decision-making positions
10%
Members of local deliberative bodies are women (2,373 elected women)
No woman is Head of State/Government
17%
Parliamentarians are women
6%
Ministers are women

Government organization

Türkiye is a unitary republic with two spheres of government: central and local.

One tier of central government and two tiers of local government: Special province administrations and towns, province centers or district municipalities, or metropolitan municipalities and metropolitan district municipalities.
Central government
  • Head of State: The President is directly elected by voters.
  • Head of Government: The President is the Head of State and the Head of Government.
  • Legislative body: The Grand National Assembly is a unicameral legislature whose members are directly elected by voters.
  • Executive body: The Council of Ministers is composed of ministers appointed by the President.
Local government
  • Organization: Local government is organized into two tiers: an upper tier of 30 metropolitan municipalities and 51 special provincial administration local government units, and a lower tier of 393 town municipalities, 400 district municipalities, 51 province center municipalities, and 519 metropolitan district municipalities.
  • The purview of the special provincial administration covers the boundaries of a province. Municipalities are established in a provincial center, district center, or in a town (settlements with populations of at least 5,000 inhabitants). Municipalities within provinces having a total municipal population of more than 750,000 inhabitants may become metropolitan municipalities.
  • Competencies: Local government is responsible for providing public services, adopting its own budget, and issuing permits, regulations, and resolutions.
  • Ministerial oversight: Ministry of Interior

Overview of local government

Local government composition
Metropolitan municipalities (büyükşehir belediyeleri)

Deliberative body: The metropolitan council (büyükşehir konseyi) is composed of elected members and the mayors of the metropolitan district municipalities. The mayor (belediye başkanı) presides over the metropolitan council; the mayor is also vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The metropolitan executive committee is composed of five appointed members and five members elected by and from the metropolitan council. The mayor also serves as chairperson of the executive committee.

Metropolitan district municipalities (büyükşehir ilçe belediyesi)

Deliberative body: The municipal council (belediye meclisi) is composed of 9-55 elected members. The mayor (belediye başkanı) presides over the municipal council; the mayor is also vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The municipal executive committee is composed of seven members (in province center municipalities and municipalities with a population of at least 100,000 inhabitants) or five members (in all other municipalities), who are either elected by and from the municipal council or appointed.

Special provincial administration-level government (il özel idaresi)

Deliberative body: The general provincial council (genel il meclisi) is composed of two to five members elected from each district. A chairperson presides over the general provincial council; the chairperson is not vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The provincial executive committee is composed of 11 total members, including an appointed governor (vali), five members elected by and from the general provincial council, and five appointed members.

Town (belde), province center (il merkezi), and district (ilçe) municipalities

Deliberative body: The municipal council (belediye meclisi) is composed of 9-55 elected members. The mayor (belediye başkanı) presides over the municipal council; the mayor is also vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The municipal executive committee is composed of seven members (in province center municipalities and municipalities with a population of at least 100,000 inhabitants) or five members (in all other municipalities), who are either elected by and from the municipal council or appointed.

Local government elections
Electoral system

Electoral system for local deliberative bodies: proportional representation (closed list)

  • A proportional closed list electoral system with a 1/10th threshold is used for local deliberative body elections.

Electoral system for mayors: majority/plurality

  • Mayors are directly elected by voters using a majority electoral system.

Source: Law on Election of Local Administration, 1984 (amended through 2012), articles 2 and 23

Quotas
  • Gender quotas: No
  • Additional quotas: No
Term of elections
  • Term length: 5 years
  • Last local elections: 2019
  • Next local elections: 2024
Electoral management body

Supreme Board of Elections

National legal framework on local government
National legal framework
  • Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, 1982 (amended through 2017);
  • Law on the Establishment of 14 Metropolitan Municipalities and 27 Districts, 2013;
  • Law on Municipalities, 2005 (amended through 2020);
  • Law on Special Provincial Administration, 2005;
  • Law on Unions of Local Governments, 2005;
  • Law on Metropolitan Municipalities, 2004 (amended through 2010);
  • Law on Election of Local Administration, 1984 (amended through 2018).
Constitutional provisions on local government

There are constitutional provisions that establish local government in Türkiye. According to Article 127 of the Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye of 1982 (amended through 2017), “local administrations are public corporate bodies established to meet the common local needs of the inhabitants of provinces, municipal districts and villages, whose principles of constitution and decision-making organs elected by the electorate are determined by law.”

Legislative provisions on local government

The Grand National Assembly is responsible for establishing the national legal framework on local government. The key pieces of legislation which regulate local government are the Law on the Establishment of 14 Metropolitan Municipalities and 27 Districts of 2012, the Law on Special Provincial Administration of 2005, and the Law on Metropolitan Municipalities of 2004 (amended through 2010). This legislation lays down the establishment, organs, administration, duties, powers, responsibilities, and working procedures and principles of the special provincial administrations and municipalities of Türkiye.

Sources:

1. UN Women: Data on share of women in local government as of 1 January 2023.

2. UN Women: Information on Head of State and Government as of 3 October 2023.

3. Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU): Data on share of women in the single/lower chamber of parliament as of 1 January 2023.

4. IPU and UN Women: Data on share of women in ministerial positions as of 1 January 2023.

5. Information on local government organization as of 1 January 2023.