Turkey is a presidential republic with a multi-party system. Major parties are defined as political parties that received more than 7% of the votes in the latest general election and/or represented in parliament. Minor parties are defined as political parties that have fulfilled the requirements of the Supreme Election Council[citation needed] (Yüksek Seçim Kurulu in Turkish, abbreviated as YSK) and whose names have been listed on ballots. Forming a political party without prior permission is a constitutional right, but the Interior Ministry may delay registering a new party for years,[1][2] so the party cannot stand in elections.[3]
If the ID and serial number of a person's Turkish identity card is known, anyone can query their political party membership via the website of the General Prosecution Office of the Supreme Court of Appeal or mobile phone messages.[4][5]
Political parties represented in the Turkish Parliament
General information about the parties holding seats in the Grand National Assembly as of June 2023:[6]
| # | Party | Leader | Position | Ideology | MPs | Metro. Mun. | Provinces | Districts | Provincial councillors | Municipal Assemb. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AK PARTY | Justice and Development Party Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi | Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Right-wing | National conservatism Right-wing populism | 265 / 600 | 12 / 30 | 12 / 51 | 356 / 973 | 757 / 1,272 | 10,173 / 20,745 | |
| 2 | CHP | Republican People's Party Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi | Özgür Özel | Centre-left | Kemalism Social democracy | 126 / 600 | 14 / 30 | 21 / 51 | 337 / 973 | 184 / 1,272 | 4,608 / 20,745 | |
| 3 | DEM PARTY | Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party Halkların Eşitlik ve Demokrasi Partisi | Tülay Hatimoğulları Oruç Tuncer Bakırhan | Centre-left to left-wing | Regionalism Minority rights Kurdish nationalism | 57 / 600 | 3 / 30 | 7 / 51 | 65 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| 4 | MHP | Nationalist Movement Party Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi | Devlet Bahçeli | Far-right[7] | Ultranationalism National conservatism | 49 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 8 / 51 | 122 / 973 | 188 / 1,272 | 2,819 / 20,745 | |
| 5 | İYİ PARTİ | Good Party İYİ Parti | Müsavat Dervişoğlu | Centre-right to right-wing | Kemalism National conservatism | 38 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 1 / 51 | 24 / 973 | 23 / 1,272 | 1,092 / 20,745 | |
| 6 | DEVA PARTİSİ | Democracy and Progress Party Demokrasi ve Atılım Partisi | Ali Babacan | Centre-right[12] | Liberal conservatism Pro-Europeanism | 15 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 1 / 973 | 1 / 1,272 | 4 / 20,745 | |
| 7 | SAADET | Felicity Party Saadet Partisi | Temel Karamollaoğlu | Right-wing | National Outlook Islamism | 20 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 1 / 973 | 3 / 1,272 | 295 / 20,745 | |
| 8 | YENİDEN REFAH | New Welfare Party Yeniden Refah Partisi | Fatih Erbakan | Far-right | National Outlook Islamism | 4 / 600 | 1 / 30 | 1 / 51 | 39 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 5 / 20,745 | |
| 9 | HÜDA PAR | Free Cause Party Hür Dava Partisi | Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu | Far-right | Islamic fundamentalism Minority rights | 4 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 3 / 20,745 | |
| 10 | TİP | Workers' Party of Turkey Türkiye İşçi Partisi | Erkan Baş | Left-wing to far-left | Communism Marxism-Leninism | 3 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 1 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| 11 | DP | Democratic Party Demokrat Parti | Gültekin Uysal | Centre-right | Liberal conservatism Pro-Europeanism | 3 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 2 / 973 | 1 / 1,272 | 135 / 20,745 | |
| 12 | EMEP | Labour Party Emek Partisi | Seyit Aslan | Far-left | Communism Marxism-Leninism | 2 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| 13 | DBP | Democratic Regions Party Demokratik Bölgeler Partisi | Salihe Aydeniz Keskin Bayındır | Left-wing | Regionalism Minority rights | 2 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| 14 | DSP | Democratic Left Party Demokratik Sol Parti | Önder Aksakal | Centre-left | Ecevitism Social democracy | 1 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 1 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 98 / 20,745 | |
Other political parties
Other parties eligible to contest in elections (by March 2023)[13]
| Party | Leader | Position | Ideology | MPs | Metro. Mun. | Provinces | Districts | Provincial council. | Municipal Assemb. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB PARTİ | Justice Unity Party Adalet Birlik Partisi | İrfan Uzun | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |||
| AP | Justice Party Adalet Partisi | Vecdet Öz | Centre-right | Liberal conservatism Kemalism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| ANAP | Motherland Party Anavatan Partisi | İbrahim Çelebi | Centre-right | Liberal conservatism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| BTP | Independent Turkey Party Bağımsız Türkiye Partisi | Hüseyin Baş | Radical centre | Civic nationalism Kemalism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| BÜYÜK BİRLİK | Great Unity Party Büyük Birlik Partisi | Mustafa Destici | Far-right | Turkish Islamonationalism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 1 / 51 | 14 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| GELECEK PARTİSİ | Future Party Gelecek Partisi | Ahmet Davutoğlu | Centre-right to Right-wing | Conservatism Pro-Europeanism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| GENÇPARTİ | Young Party Genç Parti | Hakan Uzan | Centre | Economic liberalism Secularism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| HAK-PAR | Rights and Freedoms Party Hak ve Özgürlükler Partisi | Düzgün Kaplan | Kurdish nationalism Federalism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | ||
| HKP | People's Liberation Party Halkın Kurtuluş Partisi | Nurullah Ankut | Far-left | Communism Left-wing nationalism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| MEMLEKET | Homeland Party Memleket Partisi | Muharrem İnce | Centre | Kemalism Pro-Europeanism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 2 / 1,272 | 4 / 20,745 | |
| MİLLET | Nation Party Millet Partisi | Cuma Nacar | Right-wing | National conservatism Turkish nationalism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| MİLLİ YOL | National Path Party Milli Yol Partisi | Remzi Çayır | Far-right | Turkish-Islamic nationalism Social conservatism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| SOL PARTİ | Left Party SOL Parti | Önder İşleyen | Left-wing to Far-left | Socialism Left-wing populism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 1 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| TKH | Communist Movement of Turkey Türkiye Komünist Hareketi | Aysel Tekerek | Far-left | Communism Marxism–Leninism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| TKP | Communist Party of Turkey Türkiye Komünist Partisi | Kemal Okuyan | Far-left | Communism Marxism–Leninism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 3 / 1,272 | 11 / 20,745 | |
| VATAN PARTİSİ | Patriotic Party Vatan Partisi | Doğu Perinçek | Far-left | Ulusalism Eurasianism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 5 / 20,745 | |
| YTP | New Turkey Party Yeni Türkiye Partisi | Engin Yılmaz | Right-wing | Social conservatism Right-wing populism | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,272 | 0 / 20,745 | |
| ZAFER PARTİSİ | Victory Party Zafer Partisi | Ümit Özdağ | Far-right | Ultranationalism Anti-immigration | 0 / 600 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 51 | 0 / 973 | 0 / 1,355 | 0 / 20,745 | |
General information on other political parties registered in the Ministry of Interior:
| Abbr. | Party Name | Turkish name | Leader(s) | Position | Ideology | Date of foundation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 TKP | Socialist Liberation Party | Toplumcu Kurtuluş Partisi | İsmail Kaplan | Far-left | Communism, Marxism–Leninism | 2012 | |
| SA | Socialist Alternative | Sosyalist Alternatif | Collective leadership | Far-left | Socialism, Trotskyism | 2013 | |
| DSİP | Revolutionary Socialist Workers' Party | Devrimci Sosyalist İşçi Partisi | Tuna Emren, Şenol Karakaş | Far-left | Trotskyism | 1997 | |
| DİP | Revolutionary Workers' Party | Devrimci İşçi Partisi | Ömer Sungur Savran | Far-left | Trotskyism | 2007 | |
| LDP | Liberal Democratic Party | Liberal Demokrat Parti | Gültekin Tırpancı | Centre to centre-right | Classical liberalism | 1994 | |
| TSİP | Socialist Workers' Party of Turkey | Türkiye Sosyalist İşçi Partisi | Turgut Koçak | Far-left | Communism, Anti-revisionism | 1993 | |
| YURT-P | Homeland Party | Yurt Partisi | Sadettin Tantan | Centre-right | Conservatism | 2002 | |
| TURAN | Great Turan Movement Party | Büyük Turan Hareketi Partisi | Varol Esen | Far-right | Nationalism, Turanism | 2014 | |
| ÖTÜKEN | Ötüken Union Party | Ötüken Birliği Partisi | Çağatay Korkut Körüklü | Far-right | Nationalism, Pan-Turkism | 2017 | |
| ULUSAL | National Party | Ulusal Parti | Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu | Far-left | Nationalism | 2010 | |
| MMP | National Struggle Party | Milli Mücadele Partisi | Ahmet Kaya | Nationalism Kemalism | 2014 | ||
| YEŞİLLER | Green Party | Yeşiller Partisi | Özlem Teke Taşdemir (female spokesperson) Koray Doğan Urbarlı (male spokesperson) | Left-wing | Ecofeminism | 2020 | |
| YEŞİL SOL PARTİ | Green Left Party | Yeşil Sol Parti | Eylem Tuncaelli, Naci Sönmez | Left-wing | Green politics | 2012 | |
| KP | Women's Party | Kadın Partisi | Fatma Benal Yazgan | Feminism | 2014 | ||
| MEP | Centre Party | Merkez Parti | Abdurrahim Karslı | Centre to centre-right | Liberal | 2014 | |
Former
Inactive parties
The following parties are inactive, and they are not listed in the active political parties list by the Supreme Court of Appeal.[14]
| Party Name | Turkish name | Abbr. | Ideology | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democracy Party of Turkey & Kurdistan | Türkiye Kürdistan Demokrasi Partisi | T-KDP | Kurdish nationalism | Big tent | |
| Alternative and Change Party | Alternatif ve Değişim Partisi | AL PARTİ | Conservative | Right-wing | |
| Nation and Justice Party | Millet ve Adalet Partisi | MİLAD | |||
| People's Ascent Party | Halkın Yükselişi Partisi | HYP | Social democracy | Centre-left | |
| Turkey's Change Movement | Türkiye Değişim Hareketi | TDH | Social democracy | Centre-left | |
| Social Reconciliation Reform and Development Party | Toplumsal Uzlaşma Reform ve Kalkınma Partisi | TURK-P | Nationalism | ||
| Independent Republican Party | Bağımsız Cumhuriyet Partisi | BCP | Nationalism | ||
| Electronic Democracy Party | Elektronik Demokrasi Partisi | e-Parti | Liberal | Single-issue | |
Defunct and historical parties
These are some of the parties that were dismantled because of their internal dynamics, mergers, inability to find electoral base or through governmental intervention, for instance following the Turkish coups d'état.
| Defunct and historical parties | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party Name | Position | Notes | |||||||||||
| Alternative Party (Alternatif Parti) | Right-wing | Conservative | |||||||||||
| Participatory Democracy Party (Katılımcı Demokrasi Partisi) | Centre-left | dissolved in 2019 | |||||||||||
| Anatolia Party (Anadolu Partisi) | Centre-left | dissolved in 2015 | |||||||||||
| Democratic Left People's Party (Demokratik Sol Halk Partisi) | Centre-left | dissolved in 2010 | |||||||||||
| New Turkey Party (2002) (Yeni Türkiye Partisi) | Centre-left | joined CHP in 2004 | |||||||||||
| Social Democracy Party (SODEP) (Sosyal Demokrat Parti) | Centre-left | merged with People's Party to form Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP) in 1985 | |||||||||||
| People's Party (Halkçı Parti) | merged with SODEP to form Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP) in 1985 | ||||||||||||
| Social Democratic Populist Party (Sosyaldemokrat Halkçı Parti) | Centre-left | merged with CHP in 1995 | |||||||||||
| Socialist Democracy Party (Sosyalist Demokrasi Partisi) | Left-wing | merged to Peoples' Democratic Party in 2015 | |||||||||||
| People's Communist Party of Turkey (Halkın Türkiye Komünist Partisi) | Far-left | dissolved in 2017 | |||||||||||
| Republican Villagers Nation Party (Cumhuriyetçi Köylü Millet Partisi) | Nationalist | merger of two parties, replaced by MHP in 1969 | |||||||||||
| Nationalist Task Party (Milliyetçi Çalışma Partisi) | Nationalist | replaced by MHP in 1992 | |||||||||||
| Nationalist Democracy Party (Milliyetçi Demokrasi Partisi) | Nationalist | dissolved 1986 | |||||||||||
| Rights and Equality Party (Hak ve Eşitlik Partisi) | Nationalist, Populist | dissolved 2019 | |||||||||||
| Greens of Turkey (Yeşiller Partisi) | Green politics | merged with EDP to form Greens and the Left Party of the Future (Yeşiller ve Sol Gelecek Partisi) in 2012. | |||||||||||
| Equality and Democracy Party (Eşitlik ve Demokrasi Partisi) | Green politics | merged with the Greens to form Greens and the Left Party of the Future (Yeşiller ve Sol Gelecek Partisi) in 2012. | |||||||||||
| Justice Party (Adalet Partisi) | Conservative, right-wing | closed on 12 September 1980 | |||||||||||
| Communist Party (Komünist Parti) | Far-left | Member of United June Movement, Initiative of Communist and Workers' Parties and International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties. Founded in 2014, Dissolved in 2017 | |||||||||||
| Democrat Party (Demokrat Parti) | Centre-right | 1946-1961 | |||||||||||
| Nation Party (Millet Partisi) | Right-wing | 1948–1953 and 1962–1977 | |||||||||||
| New Party (Yeni Parti) | dissolved 2012 | ||||||||||||
| Democratic Party (Demokrat Parti) | Centre-right | 1970-1980 | |||||||||||
| Democratic Center Party (Demokratik Merkez Partisi) | Right-wing | merged into DYP on September 14, 1991 | |||||||||||
| True Path Party (Doğru Yol Partisi) | Centre-right | merged with Motherland Party into Democrat Party (Turkey, 2007) in 2007 | |||||||||||
| New Turkey Party (1961) (Yeni Türkiye Partisi) | Right-wing | joined to Justice Party in 1973 | |||||||||||
| People's Voice Party (Halkın Sesi Partisi) | Right-wing | dissolved in 2012 | |||||||||||
| Turkey Party (Türkiye Partisi) | Centre-right | dissolved in 2012 | |||||||||||
| Liberal Republican Party (Serbest Cumhuriyet Fırkası) | Centre-right, Liberal | dissolved itself in 1930 | |||||||||||
| Liberty Party (Hürriyet Partisi) | Liberal | joined CHP in 1958 | |||||||||||
| National Salvation Party (Milli Selâmet Partisi) | Sunni Islamist | closed on 12 September 1980 | |||||||||||
| National Development Party (Milli Kalkınma Partisi) | Sunni Islamist | ||||||||||||
Banned parties
These are some of the parties that were banned through extraordinary courts or the Constitutional Court of Turkey.
| Banned parties | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party Name | Position | Notes | |||||||||||
| Fatherland Party (Vatan Partisi) | Left-wing | banned in 1954 | |||||||||||
| Workers Party of Turkey (Türkiye İşçi Partisi) | Far-left | banned in 1971, represented in the national senate in early 1960s. (1961–1987) eventually merged with the Communist Party of Turkey in 1987. | |||||||||||
| United Communist Party of Turkey (Türkiye Birleşik Komünist Partisi) | Far-left | banned in 1991; ban found contrary to Article 11 (freedom of association) of the European Convention on Human Rights, 1998 (1987–1991) | |||||||||||
| Labour Party (Emek Partisi) | Far-left | ban found contrary to Article 11 (freedom of association) of the European Convention on Human Rights, 2005, and re-established | |||||||||||
| Progressive Republican Party (Terakkiperver Cumhuriyet Fırkası) | Conservative | banned on 3 June 1925 (1924–1925) | |||||||||||
| National Order Party (Milli Nizam Partisi) | Sunni Islamist | banned on 20 May 1971 (1970–1971) | |||||||||||
| Welfare Party (Refah Partisi) | Sunni Islamist | banned on 16 January 1998; (1983-1998) ban upheld by European Convention on Human Rights 2003 | |||||||||||
| Virtue Party (Fazilet Partisi) | Sunni Islamist | banned on 22 June 2001; (1998-2001) ECHR case withdrawn by applicant 2005 | |||||||||||
| People's Labor Party (Halkın Emek Partisi) | Kurdish nationalist | banned in July 1993 (1990-1993) | |||||||||||
| Democracy Party (Demokrasi Partisi) | Kurdish nationalist | banned on 16 June 1994; found contrary to Article 11 (freedom of association) of the European Convention on Human Rights, 2002 (1993-1994) | |||||||||||
| People’s Democracy Party (Halkın Demokrasi Partisi) | Kurdish nationalist | banned on 13 March 2003; found contrary to Article 11 (freedom of association) of the European Convention on Human Rights, 2010 (1994-2003) | |||||||||||
| Democratic Society Party (Demokratik Toplum Partisi) | Kurdish nationalist | banned on 11 December 2009; ECHR case ongoing (2005-2009)[citation needed] | |||||||||||
| Great Turkey Party (Büyük Türkiye Partisi) | Turkish nationalist | banned in 1983 | |||||||||||