Vice President of Turkey

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Vice President of Turkey
Türkiye Cumhurbaşkanı Yardımcısı
Flag of Turkey.svg
Fuat Oktay (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Fuat Oktay

since 10 July 2018
StatusSecond highest in executive branch
Member ofCabinet
National Security Council
Supreme Military Council
ResidenceÇankaya Mansion, Ankara
AppointerPresident of Turkey
Term lengthFive years, renewable
Constituting instrumentConstitution of Turkey
Formation9 July 2018; 3 years ago (2018-07-09)
First holderFuat Oktay
Salary260,880 annually

The vice president of Turkey is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the government of Turkey, after the president. The vice president is also a statutory member of the Cabinet, National Security Council and Supreme Military Council.

Fuat Oktay is the first and current vice president of Turkey since his appointment to office on July 10, 2018.[1]

Origin[]

The office of vice president was created with a referendum on constitutional amendments on 16 April 2017 and entered into force after the presidential election in 2018, when the new president took office on 9 July 2018. With the said referendum, Turkey changed from a parliamentary republic to a presidential republic. Fuat Oktay was appointed as the first vice president by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Constitutional conditions[]

The constitution of Turkey stipulates the following conditions about the vice-presidency:[2]

  • The President may appoint one or more vice presidents after being elected.
  • If the presidential office becomes vacant for any reason, the presidential election shall be held within forty-five days. The vice president shall act as and exercise the powers of the President until the next president is elected.
  • In cases where the President is temporarily absent from his or her duties on account of illness or travelling abroad, the vice president acts as the President of the Republic and exercises his or her powers.
  • The vice president shall be appointed from among those who are eligible to be a deputy for the Turkish parliament. The vice president shall take oath before the Turkish Grand National Assembly as stated in the Article 81. If a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey is appointed as a vice president, he or she shall lose their membership to the parliament.

Accountability[]

According to the constitutional amendments approved in the 2017 referendum, the Grand National Assembly may initiate an investigation of the president, the vice president or any member of the Cabinet upon the proposal of simple majority of its total members, and within a period less than a month, the approval of three-fifths of the total members.[3]

The investigation would be carried out by a commission of fifteen members of the Parliament, each nominated by the political parties in proportion to their representation therein. The Commission would submit its report indicating the outcome of the investigation to the Speaker within two months. If the investigation is not completed within this period, the Commission's time renewed for another month. Within ten days of its submission to the Speaker, the report would be distributed to all members of the Parliament, and ten days after its distribution, the report would be discussed on the floor.

Upon the approval of two thirds of the total number of the Parliament by secret vote, the person or persons, about whom the investigation was conducted, may be tried before the Constitutional Court. The trial would be finalized within three months, and if not, a one-time additional period of three months shall be granted. The deputies of the President who are convicted of a crime by the Supreme Criminal Tribunal for a crime that prevents them from being elected shall lose their mandate.

List of vice presidents of Turkey (2018–present)[]

Political party

  Justice and Development Party (1)

No. Portrait Name
(born-died)
Term Political party Previous office
Took office Left office Time in office
1
Fuat Oktay
Fuat Oktay
(born 1964)
10 July 2018Incumbent3 years, 256 daysAKPUndersecretary to Prime Minister of Turkey

References[]

  1. ^ "President Erdoğan announces ministers of Turkey's new cabinet - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2018-09-27.
  2. ^ "Duties and Powers". Presidency of Turkey. Retrieved 2019-09-27.
  3. ^ "Grand National Assembly of Turkey" (PDF). tbmmgov.tr. 2018.
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