Vice President of Turkey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye
Flag of Turkey
Incumbent Cevdet Yılmaz since 4 June 2023
Executive branch of the Turkish Government
Member of	Cabinet National Security Council Supreme Military Council Economic Coordination Council
Reports to	President
Residence	Çankaya Mansion
Nominator	President
Appointer	President
Term length	Five years, renewable
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Turkey
Formation	9 July 2018; 7 years ago (2018-07-09)
First holder	Fuat Oktay
Salary	₺260,880 annually

The Vice President of Turkey is a very important person in the Turkish government. Their official title is the Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye. This person is the second-highest leader in the executive branch, right after the President.

The Vice President is also a key member of several important groups. These include the Cabinet, which is like the President's main team of advisors. They also join the National Security Council and the Supreme Military Council.

Currently, Cevdet Yılmaz is the Vice President of Turkey. He started this role on June 4, 2023. He is the second person to hold this position.

How the Vice President's Job Started

Creating a New Role in Turkey's Government

The job of Vice President was created not too long ago. People voted on some changes to the country's rules (the constitution) in a special vote on April 16, 2017. This vote is called a referendum.

The new role officially began after the presidential election in 2018. This was when the new President took office on July 9, 2018. Before this, Turkey was a parliamentary republic. This means the parliament had more power. After the vote, Turkey became a presidential republic, where the President has more power.

The first person to be appointed as Vice President was Fuat Oktay. He was chosen by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Rules for the Vice President

What the Constitution Says About the Role

The main rule book for Turkey, called the constitution of Turkey, has clear rules about the Vice President. Here are some of them:

• The President can choose one or more Vice Presidents after they are elected.
• If the President's job becomes empty for any reason, a new presidential election must happen within 45 days. The Vice President will act as President during this time. They will use all the President's powers until a new President is elected.
• If the President is away temporarily, maybe because of illness or a trip abroad, the Vice President steps in. They act as the President and use the President's powers.
• To become Vice President, a person must be able to be a member of the Turkish parliament.
• The Vice President must take an oath (a special promise) in front of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
• If a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey becomes Vice President, they lose their spot in parliament.

How the Vice President is Held Accountable

Keeping Leaders Responsible in Turkey

The rules changed in 2017 to make sure leaders are responsible for their actions. The Grand National Assembly (Turkey's parliament) can start an investigation. This can be against the President, the Vice President, or any member of the Cabinet.

• To start an investigation, more than half of all members of parliament must suggest it.
• Then, within a month, three-fifths (60%) of all members must agree to it.
• A special group of 15 members of parliament will do the investigation. These members are chosen fairly from all the political parties.
• This group writes a report about what they found. They give this report to the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly within two months. If they need more time, they can get one extra month.
• The report is then shared with all members of parliament. Ten days later, they discuss the report in parliament.
• If two-thirds (about 66%) of all members of parliament vote secretly to approve it, the person being investigated can be tried. This trial happens at the Constitutional Court.
• The trial should finish within three months. If not, they can get one more three-month extension.
• If the Vice President is found guilty of a crime by the Constitutional Court that stops them from being elected, they will lose their job.

List of Vice Presidents of Turkey (2018–Present)

Who Has Served as Vice President

Here is a list of the people who have served as Vice President of Turkey since the job was created in 2018.

Political party

      Justice and Development Party (AK Party)

No.	Portrait	Name (born-died)	Term			Political party	Previous office
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Fuat Oktay (born 1964)	9 July 2018	4 June 2023	4 years, 329 days	AKP	Undersecretary to Prime Minister of Turkey
2		Cevdet Yılmaz (born 1967)	4 June 2023	Incumbent	2 years, 41 days	AKP	Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey

See also

In Spanish: Vicepresidente de Turquía para niños