IS INTRA-PARTY DEMOCRACY POSSIBLE IN TURKEY? AN ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL PARTIES ACT AND PARTY BY-LAWS

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the political parties in Turkey in terms of their coherence to intra-party democracy. This evaluation is carried out on the Constitution, Political Parties Law and Party Bylaws. In this perspective, the bylaws of Justice and Development Party (AKP) in power for almost ten years in center-right and Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the center-left as the main opposition party for the last two terms are compared according to the related articles of the Political Parties Law. The study is composed of nine intercorrelated subheadings. As a result of the study, it is concluded that the political parties law does not include imperatives to encourage intra-party democracy. Therefore, the law itself is a major obstacle before democracy. Political parties law does not involve any precautions to encourage intra-party democracy in such issues as delegate election, determination of MP candidates or chairman election, etc. Political party bylaws, on the other hand, do not provide any imperatives to actualise intra-party democracy. It is, therefore, concluded that the most crucial reason for the political parties in Turkey not to have intra-party democracy is the related legal arrangements.