ABSTRACT
One of the salient characteristics of the Turkish political party system has been the existence of large number of political parties and party-like constellations since it first appeared in the Second Constitutional Era (1908–14). 1 This is also true of the contemporary party politics. According to official records, the number of officially registered political parties in Turkey reached 97 in March 2016. 2 While most can be safely considered to lack the necessary functions to be considered to be a political party, nearly 30 competed in the latest elections. Yet, despite the large number of options, 98% of voters chose between only four parties. In other words, although there are many issues and interests to be addressed, only a small number of parties successfully mobilise voters around their political platforms. This raises several questions: Why does Turkey have so many parties and why do only a few of them appeal to voters? What are the major issues that attract voters’ attention?
