List of political parties in Turkey

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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 (Yüksek Seçim Kurulu in Turkish, abbreviated as YSK) and don't have any representatives in the parliament. 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

Main article: 2023 Turkish parliamentary election

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 PARTİ Justice and Development Party
Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi 		Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Right-wing National conservatism
Right-wing populism
268 / 600
12 / 30
12 / 51
367 / 973
592 / 1,282
8,174 / 20,952
2 CHP Republican People's Party
Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi 		Özgür Özel Centre-left Kemalism
Social democracy
130 / 600
14 / 30
21 / 51
314 / 973
300 / 1,282
6,561 / 20,952
3 DEM PARTİ Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party
Halkların Eşitlik ve Demokrasi Partisi 		Tülay Hatimoğulları
Tuncer Bakırhan 		Centre-left
to left-wing 		Regionalism
Minority rights
Kurdish nationalism
57 / 600
2 / 30
4 / 51
54 / 973
132 / 1,282
1,410 / 20,952
4 MHP Nationalist Movement Party
Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi 		Devlet Bahçeli Far-right[7] Ultranationalism
Neo-fascism
47 / 600
0 / 30
8 / 51
113 / 973
207 / 1,282
2,715 / 20,952
5 İYİ PARTİ Good Party
İYİ Parti 		Müsavat Dervişoğlu Centre-right
to right-wing 		Kemalism
National conservatism
29 / 600
0 / 30
1 / 51
15 / 973
14 / 1,282
484 / 20,952
6 DEVA Democracy and Progress Party
Demokrasi ve Atılım Partisi 		Ali Babacan Centre-right[12] Liberal conservatism
Pro-Europeanism
10 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
1 / 973
1 / 1,282
40 / 20,952
7 SAADET Felicity Party
Saadet Partisi 		Mahmut Arıkan Right-wing National Outlook
Islamism
20 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
1 / 973
0 / 1,272
72 / 20,952
8 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 / 1,282
23 / 20,952
9 YRP New Welfare Party
Yeniden Refah Partisi 		Fatih Erbakan Far-right National Outlook
Islamism
4 / 600
0 / 30
1 / 51
23 / 973
21 / 1,282
1,018 / 20,952
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
2 / 973
1 / 1,282
36 / 20,952
11 DBP Democratic Regions Party
Demokratik Bölgeler Partisi 		Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar
Keskin Bayındır 		Left-wing Regionalism
Minority rights
2 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
0 / 973
0 / 1,282
0 / 20,952
12 EMEP Labour Party
Emek Partisi 		Seyit Aslan Far-left Communism
Marxism-Leninism
2 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
0 / 973
0 / 1,282
11 / 20,952
13 DP Democratic Party
Demokrat Parti 		Gültekin Uysal Centre-right Liberal conservatism
Pro-Europeanism
1 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
2 / 973
0 / 1,282
55 / 20,952
14 DSP Democratic Left Party
Demokratik Sol Parti 		Önder Aksakal Centre-left Ecevitism
Social democracy
1 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
1 / 973
0 / 1,282
28 / 20,952

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 / 1,282
0 / 20,952
AP Justice Party
Adalet Partisi 		Vecdet Öz Centre-right Liberal conservatism
Kemalism
0 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
0 / 973
0 / 1,282
0 / 20,952
ANAP Motherland Party
Anavatan Partisi 		İbrahim Çelebi Centre-right Liberal conservatism
0 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
0 / 973
0 / 1,282
6 / 20,952
BTP Independent Turkey Party
Bağımsız Türkiye Partisi 		Hüseyin Baş Radical centre Civic nationalism
Kemalism
0 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
0 / 973
0 / 1,282
1 / 20,952
BBP Great Unity Party
Büyük Birlik Partisi 		Mustafa Destici Far-right Turkish Islamonationalism
0 / 600
0 / 30
1 / 51
14 / 973
11 / 1,282
261 / 20,952
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 / 1,282
11 / 20,952
GENÇPARTİ Young Party
Genç Parti 		Burçin Şahindur Economic liberalism
Populism
0 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
0 / 973
0 / 1,282
0 / 20,952
HAK-PAR Rights and Freedoms Party
Hak ve Özgürlükler Partisi 		Düzgün Kaplan Kurdish nationalism
Federalism
0 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
0 / 973
0 / 1,282
0 / 20,952
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 / 1,282
0 / 20,952
MEMLEKET Homeland Party
Memleket Partisi 		Muharrem İnce Centre Kemalism
Pro-Europeanism
0 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
0 / 973
0 / 1,282
10 / 20,952
MİLLET Nation Party
Millet Partisi 		Cuma Nacar Right-wing National conservatism
Turkish nationalism
0 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
0 / 973
0 / 1,282
0 / 20,952
MYP National Path Party
Milli Yol Partisi 		Remzi Çayır Far-right Turkish-Islamic nationalism
Social conservatism
0 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
0 / 973
0 / 1,282
1 / 20,952
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 / 1,282
5 / 20,952
TKH Communist Movement of Turkey
Türkiye Komünist Hareketi 		Aysel Tekerek Far-left Communism
Marxism–Leninism
0 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
0 / 973
0 / 1,282
0 / 20,952
TKP Communist Party of Turkey
Türkiye Komünist Partisi 		Kemal Okuyan Far-left Communism
Marxism–Leninism
0 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
0 / 973
0 / 1,282
9 / 20,952
VATAN PARTİSİ Patriotic Party
Vatan Partisi 		Doğu Perinçek Far-left Ulusalism
Eurasianism
0 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
0 / 973
0 / 1,282
0 / 20,952
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 / 1,282
0 / 20,952
ZAFER PARTİSİ Victory Party
Zafer Partisi 		Ümit Özdağ Far-right Ultranationalism
Anti-immigration
0 / 600
0 / 30
0 / 51
1 / 973
0 / 1,282
0 / 20,952

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
HDP Peoples' Democratic Party Halkların Demokratik Partisi Cahit Kırkazak
Sultan Özcan		 Centre-left to left-wing Minority rights, Kurdish nationalism 2012
LDP Liberal Democratic Party Liberal Demokrat Parti Gültekin Tırpancı Centre 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 Turan Movement Party 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 Pelin Gündeş Bakır Centre to centre-right Liberal 2014
DYP True Path Party Doğru Yol Partisi Cenk Küpeli Centre-right Liberal conservatism 2007
ESP Socialist Party of the Oppressed Ezilenlerin Sosyalist Partisi Hatice Deniz Aktaş[14]
Murat Çepni[14]		 Far-left Communism, Marxism–Leninism, Hoxhaism, Anti-revisionism 2010

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.[15]

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

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ "We are starting the legal process to use our democratic right!". Green Party (Turkey). Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  2. ^ Ergin, Sedat. "Türkiye'de bir Yeşiller Partisi kurmaya kalktığınızda" [When you try to establish a Green Party in Turkey]. Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  3. ^ Keyman, Fuat (2022-01-22). "Yeşiller Partisi niye engelleniyor ve Muhalefet ne yapmalı?" [Why is the Green Party blocked and what should the Opposition do?]. PolitikYol (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  4. ^ "Duties Relating to Political Parties". Court of Cassation (Turkey). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  5. ^ "Siyasi Parti Üyeliği".
  6. ^ "Türki̇ye Büyük Mi̇llet Mecli̇si̇".
  7. ^
  8. ^ "Babacan ve arkadaşları parti için son düzlükte: Yeni oluşumun ilk hedefi ana akım siyaset olmak".
  9. ^ "Turkey's Ali Babacan to offer a detailed reform strategy in his new party programme". Ahval. 27 December 2019.
  10. ^ "Could Turkey's new parties change the political balance?" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  11. ^ "İZLENİM | DEVA Partisi'nin ilk gününden izlenimler: İslamcı değil merkez sağcı". 11 March 2020.
  12. ^ [8][9][10][11]
  13. ^ "Seçime kaç siyasi parti katılabilecek? Sayı bilgisi YSK'dan geldi". NTV (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  14. ^ a b "ESP'nin yeni eş genel başkanları seçildi". Artı Gerçek (in Turkish). 27 October 2024. Archived from the original on 9 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  15. ^ "Faaliyette Olan Siyasi Partiler". The Supreme Court of Appeal. Retrieved 22 March 2021.