Constitutional Court of Turkey

Constitutional Court
Anayasa Mahkemesi
Established	1961
Country	Turkey
Location	Ankara
Authorized by	Constitution of Turkey
Website	www.anayasa.gov.tr

The Constitutional Court of Turkey (Turkish: Anayasa Mahkemesi, sometimes abbreviated as AYM) is the highest legal body for constitutional review in Turkey. It "examines the constitutionality, in respect of both form and substance, of laws, decrees having the force of law, and the Rules of Procedure of the Turkish Grand National Assembly" (Article 148 of the Turkish Constitution). If necessary, it also functions as the Supreme Criminal Court (Turkish: Yüce Divan) to hear any cases raised about the President of the Republic, members of the Council of Ministers, or presidents and members of the high courts.

Part Four, Section Two of the Turkish Constitution has established the Constitutional Court of Turkey that rules on the conformity of laws and decrees with the Constitution. It can rule on issues referred to it by the President of the Republic, the government, the members of Parliament, or any judge before whom an exception of unconstitutionality has been raised by a defendant or a plaintiff. The Constitutional Court has the right to both a priori and a posteriori review (respectively, before and after enactment), and it can invalidate whole laws or governmental decrees and prevent their application in future cases. Challenges to a law must be made within the first two months of its promulgation.

In accordance with Article 146 of the Constitution of Turkey, the Constitutional Court is composed of eleven regular and four substitute members. The President of Turkey appoints two regular members and two substitute members from the Court of Cassation, two regular members and one substitute member from the Turkish Council of State, and one member each from the Military Court of Cassation, the High Military Administrative Court of Appeals and the Court of Accounts, three candidates being chosen for each vacant office by the Plenary Assemblies of each court among their respective presidents and members with the absolute majority of the total number of members. The President also appoints one member from a list of three candidates nominated by the Higher Education Council among members of the teaching staff of institutions of higher education who are not members of the Council, and three regular members and one substitute member among senior administrative officers (usually from governors and ambassadors) and lawyers.

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