Turkeys Domestic Political Issues Essay Example

the Constitution and the smooth functioning of state organs.

The president has the authority to promulgate laws, including the power to appoint and accept the resignation of the prime minister. Furthermore, based on the prime minister's proposal, the president can appoint and dismiss ministers. Additionally, international treaties can be ratified and promulgated by the president. Another responsibility of the president is to present any constitutional amendments projected by the Grand Assembly for popular referenda.

The president has the authority to convene national assembly meetings and make independent appointments, including members of the constitutional court, Turkish diplomatic representatives, public prosecutors, the supreme council of judges, the Turkish state supervisory council, and the chief of general staff. These powers are granted by the Turkish Constitution.

Prime Minister's Responsibilities

As leader of the government, the prime minister ensures that the cabinet functions smoothly and oversees policy implementation. Ministers are accountable to the prime minister and must adhere to constitutional laws. The prime minister nominates ministers for appointment by the president.

Council Of Ministers' Duties

The Council of Ministers is responsible for matters related to national security and readiness of Turkish armed forces. They are answerable to the Turkish assembly.

The ministers hold responsibility for issuing regulations regarding the enforcement of laws, while also sharing equal and joint responsibility with the council members for implementing government policy. The prime minister oversees this process. The Turkish constitution grants the council of ministers the authority to modify duty percentages, as well as other financial obligations such as exemptions and reductions in fees and taxes. Additionally, the constitution empowers the council of ministers to impose additional financial burdens on imports in order to regulate foreign trade.

The council has the

power to adjust the customs rate for goods in the Customs Entry Tariff Schedule by a maximum of 50%.

Judicial Branch

The courts, representing the Turkish nation, wield judicial authority. Judges render their decisions based on the Turkish constitution, laws, legal precedent, and personal convictions. No individual or organization can influence or instruct judges in any way concerning their exercise of power.

The most important factor ensuring the independence of the judiciary is the Guarantee of Judges and Prosecutors provided in the country's constitution.

Civil Courts in Turkey

These original trial courts have general and residual jurisdiction, covering issues not assigned to other tribunals. Specialized courts have been established to handle cases requiring expertise and special knowledge. If such courts do not exist in a province or sub-province, civil courts handle cases falling within the competence of specialized courts. Constitutional courts consist of 11 members and are responsible for constitutional adjudication. The primary function of the constitutional court in Turkey, established in the 1961 constitution, is to examine the constitutionality, both in substance and form, of laws and decrees according to the rules and power of law along with the Rules of Procedure of The Turkish Grand National Assembly (Seferoglu, 2016).

The court gained the authority to review personal applications against human rights violations, and also audits the finances of Turkish political parties (Youngblood-Coleman & Denise, 2011). It has the power to judge members of the cabinet, Supreme Court members, the president, the chief republic prosecutors, and deputy Republic chief prosecutors for crimes related to their offices. The court also reviews and makes decisions on revoking immunities of members and dismissing members of parliament.

Military Courts

Military courts have jurisdiction over military personnel

for offences committed against other soldiers, crimes committed in military places, and offences connected with military duties and obligations.

Constitution

Amendments to Article 67, clause 3 of the Turkish constitution have been made as follows.

According to Ozbudun and Genckaya (2009), Turkish citizens who reach the age of 20 during elections or referendums have the right to vote and participate, regardless of their actual birth dates.

The Turkish constitution has been modified in Article 75 to declare that the Grand National Assembly of Turkey is composed of 450 deputies, who are elected through universal suffrage.

In a similar manner, Article 175 of the Turkish constitution has been changed to specify that any constitutional changes in Turkey must be proposed in writing by at least one member from the total number of members in the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

The constitution amendment proposals will be discussed twice in the plenary sitting. A 3/5 majority of all members in the Turkish Grand National Assembly is required to accept a suggestion for adjustment (Ozbudun ; Genckaya, 2009). The adoption and consideration of proposals for constitutional amendments will follow the provisions that govern the consideration and adoption of legislation, except for the conditions stated in this article. If a law is adopted by a 3/5 or less than 2/3 majority of the total votes and not referred by the president for further consideration, it will be published in the official gazette and submitted to a referendum (Ozbudun ; Genckaya, 2009).

Legal System

A.

The civil code of Turkey, which is a modified version of the Swiss system, was adopted in 1926 under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's presidency. This adoption was part of progressive government reforms and efforts to secularize

the country by westernizing it and abolishing Islamic law.

Turkey's Government Corruption

Corruption is a problem in Turkey within both private enterprises and the government as a whole, particularly in public procurement. Many companies operating in Turkey have experienced solicitation from local authorities or municipalities for contributions to the community, often under different levels of pressure (Omurgonulen & Doig, 2012).

Bribery Manipulation of Political Structure

President Erdogan has manipulated Turkey's state structures since 2013, leading to weakened intelligence and law enforcement sectors. The police units that posed a direct threat to Erdogan's crony networks and regional ambitions were assigned tasks like traffic control, which turned out to be a strategic mistake.

According to Omurgonulen & Doig (2012), punitive reforms have undermined the effectiveness of domestic security forces in Turkey. President Erdogan has exploited the relationship between crime and terrorism to justify the necessity of political stability in a vulnerable security setting. Moreover, President Erdogan's habit of appointing devoted allies to crucial administrative roles is negatively impacting the functionality of state institutions. This influence has even extended to decision making within the cabinet.

The president's actions to personally obtain power have caused division and demoralization among the citizens of Turkey, resulting in a more authoritative government.

Government officials and Council Of Ministers

The corruption crisis within the Turkish cabinet has sparked anger and political instability. Initially, the prime minister dismissed the allegations as absurd but later claimed that the four former ministers were innocent. The national assembly still has the potential to send them to trial, but this would require 52 AKP deputies defecting to the opposition.

Money laundering

To effectively combat money laundering, strong political will and commitment from top leadership are necessary.

Money laundering methods

in Turkey encompass a range of activities, including bank transfers within and outside the country, smuggling currency across borders, and acquiring high-value assets like real estate, luxury goods, and gold. In order to combat money laundering, Turkey has established Anti-Money-Laundering Laws and regulations from the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK). These regulations necessitate that companies implement strong internal systems to identify and report suspicious activity. Recent penalties imposed by regulators have prompted businesses to enhance their internal controls (Omurgonul?en ; Doig, 2012). MASAK also requires the submission of Suspicious Transaction Reports, customer identification procedures, and maintenance of transaction records for eight years. It is important to note that these rules extend beyond banks to non-bank entities such as insurance firms and asset management companies.