I am giving all text that is needed to answer this question. It may be a bit much, but it would be much appreciated if you can a
nswer it. :: Write a paragraph on why must people in Turkey watch what they write or say about the government? ____________________________________________________________________
Turkey became a republic on October 29, 1923, with a parliamentary
democracy. The national government is divided into three sections:
executive, legislative, and judicial. Citizens age 18 and older are allowed
to vote for president and the legislative branch. Turkey’s government is
based on a constitution that was passed in November 1982. It has been
amended several times since then. In 2017, citizens voted to change
the constitution. One of the changes made the country a presidential
republic. Citizens now vote directly for a president who serves as both
head of government and head of state. Before the change, the head of
government was the prime minister, who was chosen by the president
from among members of parliament.
Turkey’s government is secular, which means there is a separation
between religion and government. In Southwest Asia, Turkey is one of
the few countries that is mainly Muslim but does not use Islamic law.
While Turkey has made progress in the rights of its citizens as part of their
efforts to join the European Union, there is still room for improvement.
Turkey’s citizens do not enjoy complete freedom of speech. It is a crime
to insult the Turkish nation and the president. Unfavorable press coverage
of the military, Kurds, or Islam can also lead to arrests.The executive branch of Turkey’s government is made up of the president and the cabinet. The president serves as head of state and head of government and is elected by the citizens for a five-year term with a two-term limit. The direct election of the president began in 2017 after
a constitutional amendment. Members of the cabinet are appointed by
the president. Turkey’s legislative branch has one house called the Grand National
Assembly of Turkey. The Assembly has 600 seats. Each seat is directly
elected by the citizens and serves for a five-year term. Turkey is divided
into 81 provinces. Each province has representatives in the Grand National Assembly.
Turkey’s judicial branch is made up of the Constitutional Court, the
Court of Cassation, and the Council of State. The Constitutional Court
has 15 members—3 appointed by the Grand National Assembly and 12
appointed by the president. These judges are appointed for one 12-year,
nonrenewable term with mandatory retirement at age 65. The main role
of the Constitutional Court is to make sure laws passed by the Grand
National Assembly are constitutional. The Court of Cassation has about
390 judges who serve until retirement at age 65. The main purpose of
the Court of Cassation is to give a final verdict after decisions made by
lower courts are appealed. Finally, the Council of State is organized into
15 divisions, each with its own division head and at least five members.
These judges are appointed for a four-year term that can be renewed.
The main purpose of the Council of State is to give a final ruling in administrative issues.
Turkish citizens must watch what they say and write about the government because it is against the law in Turkey to talk bad or display negative opinions about the Turkish government. While Turkey is advancing in giving their citizens more freedom of speech in their effort to join the European Union, they have a long way to go. Even negative press coverage can result in arrests.
