The Turkish Constitution: What It Says and How It Changes
The Turkish Constitution since 1982: its parts, who holds power, what cannot change, how it is amended and how to apply to the Constitutional Court.
Table of Contents
The Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye came into force on 9 November 1982, after a referendum on 7 November. It has 177 articles and has been changed 19 times; the last change was approved in a referendum on 16 April 2017. This page shows how the text is built, who holds power under it, what cannot be changed, how it is amended and where to read it in English and Turkish.
In short · checked 22 October 2026
One text of 177 articles, changed 19 times.
- In force: since 9 November 1982. A referendum on 7 November approved it with about 91% of the valid votes.
- Who holds power: executive power is vested in a President elected directly by the public for five years, for two terms at most. The Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (the Assembly) has 600 members.
- What cannot change: the Republic as the form of the State, the characteristics of the Republic, and the provisions on territory, language, flag, anthem and capital. They cannot be amended, and an amendment to them cannot even be proposed.
- Where to read it: the Assembly publishes the Turkish text and an English translation of May 2019, which includes the 2017 changes. Both are linked below.
The volume · find your part
Open the book at the part you need
Tap a tab on the edge of the book. The pages show what that part covers and three facts from it. Under them are a line you can copy to cite the part and links to its page in the English and Turkish texts.
Preamble and Part One
The basics
The preamble and the general principles: what kind of state Türkiye is, whose sovereignty it rests on, how power is divided and that the Constitution binds everyone.
- The State of Türkiye is a Republic, and a democratic, secular and social state governed by rule of law. Articles 1–2
- Sovereignty belongs to the Nation without any restriction or condition. Article 6
- The language is Turkish, the capital is Ankara, and the flag is a white crescent and star on a red background. Article 3
Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, Preamble and Part One, General Principles. English translation, Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, May 2019.
Part Two
Rights
The rights and duties of the individual: general provisions, the rights of the person, social and economic rights and duties, and political rights and duties.
- Everyone possesses inherent fundamental rights and freedoms, which are inviolable and inalienable. Article 12
- Fundamental rights and freedoms may be restricted only by law and for the reasons the relevant articles give, without infringing upon their essence. Article 13
- Everyone has the right to life, and no one may be subjected to torture or ill-treatment. Article 17
Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, Part Two, Fundamental Rights and Duties. English translation, Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, May 2019.
Part Three, Chapter One
The Assembly
Legislative power: the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, its members, its elections, its duties and how it works.
- The Assembly is composed of 600 deputies elected by universal suffrage. Article 75
- Elections for the Assembly and for the President are held every five years and on the same day. Article 77
- Every Turkish citizen over 18 is eligible to be a deputy, apart from the groups the text lists. Article 76
Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, Part Three, Chapter One, Legislative Power. English translation, Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, May 2019.
Part Three, Chapter Two
The President
Executive power: the President of the Republic and the deputies the President appoints, defence and states of emergency, and the public administration.
- The President of the Republic is the head of the State, and executive power is vested in the President. Article 104
- The President is elected directly by the public for five years, for two terms at most. Article 101
- The President may appoint one or more deputies. If the office becomes vacant, the election is held within 45 days. Article 106
Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, Part Three, Chapter Two, The Executive Power. English translation, Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, May 2019.
Part Three, Chapter Three
The courts
Judicial power: independent courts, the high courts, the Constitutional Court, the Council of Judges and Prosecutors and the Court of Accounts.
- Judges are independent. No organ, authority, office or individual may give orders or instructions to a court about how it uses judicial power. Article 138
- The Constitutional Court is composed of 15 members. Article 146
- Everyone may apply to the Constitutional Court if a public authority violates a right the Constitution guarantees and the European Convention on Human Rights covers, once ordinary remedies are exhausted. Article 148
Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, Part Three, Chapter Three, Judicial Power. English translation, Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, May 2019.
Part Four
Money and the economy
The budget and the economy: annual budgets, the final accounts, planning, markets, natural resources, forests, cooperatives and consumers. Taxes are in Part Two.
- The expenditure of the State is determined by annual budgets. Article 161
- Everyone must pay taxes according to their financial resources, and taxes are imposed, amended or revoked by law. Article 73
- The State prevents the formation of monopolies and cartels in the markets. Article 167
Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, Part Four, Financial and Economic Provisions. English translation, Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, May 2019.
Part Seven
Changing the text
The final provisions: how the Constitution is amended, that the preamble is part of it, and when it came into force. The ban on changing a few provisions sits in Part One.
- A change is proposed in writing by at least one third of the members, debated twice, and adopted by three fifths in a secret ballot. Article 175
- A law submitted to a referendum comes into force with more than half of the valid votes cast. Article 175
- The Republic as the form of the State, its characteristics and the provisions on territory, language, flag, anthem and capital cannot be amended, nor can their amendment be proposed. Article 4
Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, Part Seven, Final Provisions. English translation, Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, May 2019.
Read the text itself
The Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM, from its Turkish name) publishes the Constitution in Turkish and in an English translation. The translation is dated May 2019, so it already includes the changes approved on 16 April 2017. The Constitutional Court hosts a PDF of the same translation on its own site.
- Turkish text. The Constitution, as the Assembly publishes it (PDF, 44 pages).
- English translation. The Assembly’s translation, May 2019 (PDF; the Constitution starts on page 19, and the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure follow it).
- The same translation at the Court. The Constitutional Court’s PDF (162 pages, Constitution only).
The page numbers on the volume above refer to the Assembly’s two files.
How the text is built
The text has a preamble and seven parts. The preamble forms an integral part of the Constitution. The headings of the articles do not: they only point to the subject of each article.
| Part | What it covers | Articles |
|---|---|---|
| Preamble | The basic views and principles the Constitution rests on. | Preamble |
| Part One: General principles | The Republic and its characteristics; territory, language, flag, anthem and capital; the aims of the State; sovereignty; the three powers; equality before the law; the binding force of the Constitution. | Articles 1–11 |
| Part Two: Fundamental rights and duties | General provisions; the rights and duties of the individual; social and economic rights and duties; political rights and duties. | Articles 12–74 |
| Part Three: Fundamental organs | Legislative power, executive power and judicial power. | Articles 75–160 |
| Part Four: Financial and economic provisions | The budget and final accounts; planning, markets, natural resources, forests, cooperatives, consumers. | Articles 161–173 |
| Part Five: Miscellaneous provisions | A list of reform laws that no provision of the Constitution may be read as making unconstitutional. | Article 174 |
| Part Six: Provisional articles | Rules for the changeover when the Constitution came into force. They are numbered separately. | Provisional articles 1–21 |
| Part Seven: Final provisions | How the Constitution is amended; the preamble and headings; entry into force. | Articles 175–177 |
Who holds power
The Constitution divides power in three. Legislative power belongs to the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and cannot be delegated. Executive power belongs to the President of the Republic. Judicial power is exercised by independent and impartial courts.
The Assembly: 600 deputies
The Assembly is composed of 600 deputies elected by universal suffrage. Elections for the Assembly and for the President are held every five years and on the same day.
Every Turkish citizen over 18 is eligible to be a deputy. The text lists exceptions, such as people who have not completed primary education or who have been deprived of legal capacity.
The Assembly enacts, amends and repeals laws, debates and adopts the budget, decides to issue currency and declare war, and approves the ratification of international treaties.
The courts and the Constitutional Court
Judges are independent in the discharge of their duties. No organ, authority, office or individual may give orders or instructions to courts or judges about how they use judicial power.
The Constitutional Court has 15 members. The Assembly elects three of them: two from candidates the Court of Accounts nominates and one from candidates the heads of the bar associations nominate. The President appoints the other 12, from candidates the high courts and the Council of Higher Education nominate and from senior executives, lawyers, judges and prosecutors.
A member serves for 12 years, cannot be elected again and retires when over 65. The Court examines laws, presidential decrees and the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure, and decides individual applications. It examines constitutional amendments for their form only.
The President: head of the State and of the executive
- The President is the head of the State, and executive power is vested in the President.
- The President is elected directly by the public for five years, for two terms at most. Candidates must be over 40, eligible to be a deputy and have completed higher education.
- Political party groups, parties that won at least 5% of the valid votes, alone or together, in the last parliamentary elections, or at least 100,000 voters may nominate a candidate.
- The President may appoint one or more deputies. If the office becomes vacant, the election is held within 45 days.
Since 2017
The articles on the Council of Ministers were repealed, and the President holds executive power directly.
What cannot be changed
The text names a few provisions that cannot be amended, and whose amendment cannot even be proposed.
- The form of the State. The State of Türkiye is a Republic.
- The characteristics of the Republic. A democratic, secular and social state governed by rule of law, with the other characteristics the text lists.
- The State’s unity and its marks. The State, with its territory and nation, is an indivisible entity. Its language is Turkish; its flag, national anthem and capital are named.
Everything else can be amended by the procedure below.
How the text changes
Changing the text is a set path with fixed numbers. Move the seats below to see where a vote count leads.
The 600 seats · the amendment rule
Light the seats and see where the vote leads
Move the slider, or use the buttons, to set how many of the 600 members vote yes in the final vote on a change to the Constitution. The brass plaque that is lit shows what happens next.
360 of 600 members vote yes
Fewer than 360 yes votes: not adopted
A bill to amend the Constitution needs three fifths of all members, 360 of 600, in a secret ballot. With fewer votes it is not adopted.
360 to 399 yes votes: adopted by three fifths
If the President does not send the law back, it is published and goes to a referendum. The President may instead send it back to the Assembly. It can then be adopted again, unchanged, with 400 votes, and the President may then put it to a referendum.
400 or more yes votes: adopted by two thirds
The President may put the law, or some of its articles, to a referendum. A law that is not put to a referendum is published.
A written proposal from at least 200 members comes first. A referendum passes with more than half of the valid votes cast.
- Propose At least one third of the members, 200 of 600, put the change in writing. Article 175
- Debate The Assembly debates the bill twice in the plenary.
- Vote Three fifths of all members, 360, must adopt it in a secret ballot.
- Then What happens next depends on the count: see the three plaques above.
If the law goes to a referendum
A law submitted to a referendum comes into force only with the affirmative vote of more than half of the valid votes cast. When the Assembly adopts the law, it also decides which provisions go to the referendum together and which one by one.
What changed, in three examples
- 2004. The equality article gained a paragraph: men and women have equal rights, and the State has the obligation to ensure that this equality exists in practice.
- 2010. Everyone gained the right to apply to the Constitutional Court. The term of the Court’s members is 12 years.
- 2017. Executive power moved to the President, the articles on the Council of Ministers were repealed, and the article on the Assembly’s membership was amended; it now says 600.
The 19 changes, by the date the Assembly adopted each: 17 May 1987 8 July 1993 23 July 1995 18 June 1999 13 August 1999 3 October 2001 21 November 2001 27 December 2002 7 May 2004 21 June 2005 29 October 2005 13 October 2006 10 May 2007 31 May 2007 9 February 2008 7 May 2010 17 March 2011 20 May 2016 21 January 2017. The last was approved in a referendum on 16 April 2017.
Five constitutions in short
Türkiye has had five constitutional texts, from the Ottoman text of 1876 to the one in force. The Assembly’s own pages give each text’s dates and counts.
The shelf · five constitutions
Five texts on one shelf
Each spine is as wide as the text has articles.
- 1876
- 1921
- 1924
- 1961
- 1982
Dates, counts and the number of changes as the Grand National Assembly’s pages give them; the article count of the 1924 text from the Constitutional Court’s page.
If you think a right was violated
Since 23 September 2012, anyone can apply to the Constitutional Court when a public authority has violated a fundamental right that the Constitution guarantees and the European Convention on Human Rights covers. Ordinary legal remedies must be exhausted first.
- The deadline. 30 days from the day the ordinary remedies were exhausted, or, if there is no remedy, from the day you learned of the violation.
- The form. Use the application form from the Court’s website, in Turkish. You do not need a lawyer, either to apply or while the Court examines the case.
- Where to hand it in. Directly to the Court, or through a court or a Turkish mission abroad.
- The fee. A fee applies, and proof of payment must be attached to the form. The Court’s questions and answers name the amount for 2025, so confirm the current amount with the Court before you pay. If you cannot pay, you can ask for legal aid on the form; conditions apply.
- Who can apply. Individuals. Foreigners cannot apply for rights that are given only to Turkish citizens. Public legal entities cannot apply, and private-law legal entities can apply only for rights that belong to a legal entity.
- What it does not do. The application does not stop the act from being carried out. The Court can order a measure only if it finds a serious danger to life or to physical or spiritual integrity; the form has a field for such a request.
This page explains how the Court describes the application; it is not legal advice. The Court’s pages: questions and answers and the individual application.
Short answers
Can the Constitution be changed?
Yes, except for the Republic as the form of the State, its characteristics and the provisions on territory, language, flag, anthem and capital. A change needs a written proposal from at least 200 members and 360 yes votes out of 600 in a secret ballot, and it may go to a referendum.
How many articles does it have, and how often has it been changed?
It has 177 articles, and the 21 provisional articles in Part Six are numbered separately. The Assembly’s page counts 19 changes since 1982; the last was approved in a referendum on 16 April 2017.
Is there an English text?
Yes. The Grand National Assembly of Türkiye publishes an English translation dated May 2019 that includes the 2017 changes. The Constitutional Court hosts a PDF of the same translation.
Who is the head of state?
The President of the Republic, who is also the holder of executive power. The President is elected directly by the public for five years, for two terms at most.
How many members does the Assembly have?
600 deputies, elected by universal suffrage. Elections for the Assembly and for the President are held every five years and on the same day.
Can a foreigner apply to the Constitutional Court?
The Constitution says everyone may apply. The Court’s questions and answers add that foreigners cannot apply for rights that are given only to Turkish citizens. The 30-day deadline and the rule on exhausting ordinary remedies apply to every applicant.
Sources
The Grand National Assembly’s English translation and Turkish text of the Constitution, its pages on the five constitutions and the Constitutional Court’s pages, all read on 22 October 2026. Illustrations show the subject, not a real place.
- Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, English translation, May 2019: Preamble and articles 1–4, 6–13, 16, 17, 73, 75–77, 87, 101, 104, 106, 138, 146–148, 161, 167, 174–177 — Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, Department of Laws and Resolutions, checked 22 October 2026
- Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Anayasası (Law no. 2709, Turkish text with the 2017 changes) — Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, checked 22 October 2026
- Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, English PDF — Constitutional Court, checked 22 October 2026
- 1982 Anayasası: Genel Bilgiler — Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, checked 22 October 2026
- 1982 Anayasası: Metin ve Değişiklik Bilgileri (the 19 changes and their dates) — Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, checked 22 October 2026
- 1961 Anayasası: Genel Bilgiler — Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, checked 22 October 2026
- 1924 Teşkilat-ı Esasiye Kanunu: Genel Bilgiler — Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, checked 22 October 2026
- 1921 Teşkilat-ı Esasiye Kanunu: Genel Bilgiler — Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, checked 22 October 2026
- 1876 Kanun-ı Esasi: Genel Bilgiler — Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, checked 22 October 2026
- 1924 Anayasası (the text, 105 articles) — Constitutional Court, checked 22 October 2026
- Üyelerin Seçimi (how the members are chosen) — Constitutional Court, checked 22 October 2026
- Bireysel Başvuru (the individual application) — Constitutional Court, checked 22 October 2026
- Sıkça Sorulan Sorular (questions and answers on the individual application) — Constitutional Court, checked 22 October 2026
