Journals / Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 25 Sayı: 3

Judicial, Legislative and Administrative Oversight in Türkiye after the Presidential Government System: Institutional Independence and Democratic Governance

Cumhurbaşkanlığı Hükümet Sistemi Sonrası Türkiye’de Yargı, Yasama ve İdari Denetim: Kurumsal Bağımsızlık ve Demokratik Yönetişim

Recep Kaya(Afyonkarahisar Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi)0000-0001-9072-232X
Pages
433–455
Publication Date
2026-07-22
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings indicate that the PGS has rendered the executive branch the central and dominant actor within the system, while significantly weakening the oversight capacity of the legislature.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study examines the institutional transformation that emerged in Türkiye after 2017 by focusing on the effects of the Presidential Government System (PGS) on the legislative, judicial and oversight mechanisms within a holistic framework.
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Key Findings & Data:The findings indicate that the PGS has rendered the executive branch the central and dominant actor within the system, while significantly weakening the oversight capacity of the legislature.
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Conclusion & Impact:Overall, the study demonstrates that the PGS has largely reshaped Türkiye’s governance structure in an executive-centered manner, rendering legislative, judicial and oversight institutions increasingly institutionally fragile.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2017 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Cumhurbaşkanlığı Hükümet Sistemi · Yargı Bağımsızlığı · Yasama Denetimi

Abstract

This study examines the institutional transformation that emerged in Türkiye after 2017 by focusing on the effects of the Presidential Government System (PGS) on the legislative, judicial and oversight mechanisms within a holistic framework. The analytical framework, grounded in political regime typologies, the literature on democratic backsliding and new institutionalist approaches, is structured around the axes of institutional independence, democratic accountability and functional effectiveness. In this context, the post-PGS transformation of bureaucratic institutions in Türkiye is analyzed through the combined use of national regulations, comparative examples and international datasets. The findings indicate that the PGS has rendered the executive branch the central and dominant actor within the system, while significantly weakening the oversight capacity of the legislature. The limited functioning of parliamentary instruments such as parliamentary questions, investigations and oversight mechanisms undermines the institutional balance vis-à-vis the executive. In the judicial sphere, the structure of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, appointment procedures to high judicial bodies and the role of the appellate system intensify debates over judicial independence. Data from V-Dem, Freedom House and the World Justice Project point to a steady decline in the rule of law and democratic governance indicators since 2017. Despite increased technical capacity and visibility among administrative oversight bodies, their ability to make independent and binding decisions remains limited. Overall, the study demonstrates that the PGS has largely reshaped Türkiye’s governance structure in an executive-centered manner, rendering legislative, judicial and oversight institutions increasingly institutionally fragile.

Özet

Bu çalışma, 2017 sonrası dönemde ortaya çıkan kurumsal dönüşümü merkeze alarak Cumhurbaşkanlığı Hükümet Sistemi’nin (CHS) Türkiye’de yasama, yargı ve denetim mekanizmaları üzerindeki etkilerini bütüncül bir çerçevede incelemektedir. Siyasal rejim tipolojileri, demokratik gerileme literatürü ve yeni kurumsalcı yaklaşımlar temelinde oluşturulan analitik çerçeve; kurumsal bağımsızlık, demokratik hesap verebilirlik ve işlevsel etkililik eksenlerine dayanmaktadır. Bu kapsamda Türkiye’de bürokratik kurumların CHS sonrası dönüşümü, ulusal düzenlemeler, karşılaştırmalı örnekler ve uluslararası veri setleri birlikte kullanılarak analiz edilmektedir. Çalışmanın bulguları, CHS ile birlikte yürütme organının sistemin merkezî ve belirleyici aktörü hâline geldiğini, buna karşılık yasama organının denetim kapasitesinin zayıfladığını göstermektedir. Meclisin soru, araştırma ve denetim araçlarının sınırlı işlemesi, yürütme karşısında kurumsal dengeyi zedelemektedir. Yargı alanında Hâkimler ve Savcılar Kurulu’nun yapısı, yüksek yargıya ilişkin atama süreçleri ve istinaf sisteminin rolü, yargı bağımsızlığına yönelik tartışmaları derinleştirmektedir. V-Dem, Freedom House ve World Justice Project verileri, 2017 sonrasında hukukun üstünlüğü ve demokratik yönetişim göstergelerinde istikrarlı bir gerilemeye işaret etmektedir. İdari denetim kurumlarında teknik kapasite ve görünürlük artışına rağmen, bu yapıların yürütmeden bağımsız karar alma ve bağlayıcı etki üretme kapasitelerinin sınırlı kaldığı görülmektedir. Sonuç olarak çalışma, CHS’nin Türkiye’de yönetişim yapısını büyük ölçüde yürütme odaklı biçimde yeniden şekillendirdiğini ortaya koymakta; yasama, yargı ve denetim kurumlarını kurumsal açıdan kırılganlaştırmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Kaya, R. (2026). Judicial, Legislative and Administrative Oversight in Türkiye after the Presidential Government System: Institutional Independence and Democratic Governance. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, Cilt: 25 Sayı: 3, 433–455. https://doi.org/10.17755/esosder.1850026

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