Political Parties & Voting Rights

Updated April 2026

Political parties are described by the Constitution as “indispensable elements of democratic political life” (Art. 68). The legal framework governing their formation, financing, and dissolution is set out in Articles 68–69 of the Constitution and in Law No. 2820 on Political Parties (1983, as amended).

The right to vote

Every Turkish citizen aged 18 or over has the right to vote (Constitution, Art. 67). The following groups are excluded from voting:

• privates and corporals serving in the Turkish Armed Forces;
• students attending military schools;
• persons serving prison sentences for intentional crimes (those held in pre-trial detention or serving sentences for unintentional crimes retain the right).

Standing for election

Following the 2017 amendments, the minimum candidate age was lowered from 25 to 18. Candidates must be Turkish citizens; certain categories — including active military personnel and judges — must resign before standing.

Membership in political parties

Citizens aged 18 or over may form, join, or withdraw from parties freely (Constitution, Art. 68). The following persons may not be party members:

• judges and public prosecutors;
• members of the higher judicial bodies, including the Constitutional Court, Court of Cassation, Council of State, Court of Accounts, and HSK;
• members of the public-service categories of civil servants who are not classified as workers;
• members of the Turkish Armed Forces;
• students in primary and secondary education (university students may join).

Financing and audit

Parties are financed through three sources:

• membership dues;
• donations from individuals and legal persons, within the limits set by Law No. 2820;
• annual Treasury aid, paid to parties that meet the statutory threshold under Law No. 2820, supplementary article 1.

Strict prohibitions:

• parties may not receive funds from public bodies, local administrations, public economic enterprises, or foreign states, organisations, or persons;
• commercial activity by parties is prohibited.

The Constitutional Court is the sole authority responsible for auditing party finances and adjudicating actions for dissolution. A party that has accepted assistance from foreign states or persons may be permanently dissolved (Constitution, Art. 69).

Dissolution

The Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation may bring an action before the Constitutional Court for the dissolution of a political party. Dissolution may be ordered where a party becomes a centre of activities contrary to the principles of the democratic and secular Republic, the indivisible integrity of the state, or the equal protection of citizens. As an alternative sanction, the Court may instead deprive a party of all or part of its state aid for a stated period.

Currently active parties in the Grand National Assembly

The following parties currently hold seats in the TBMM. Leadership and seat counts shift between elections through resignations and inter-party transfers; figures are stamped with their date.

Seat distribution in the Grand National Assembly

The 2023 elections of 14 May returned the 28th-term TBMM. Through resignations and inter-party transfers between 2023 and early 2026, the distribution of seats has shifted from the certified election result. The figures below are reported as of January 2026 (BirGün, 7 January 2026) and are subject to further change.