Political parties and public policy in Turkey

Abstract

Election manifestos of political parties are important sources of information as they reveal each party’s policy priorities. This chapter analyses the election manifestos of major political parties in Turkey over the last five general elections (2002 to 2015) with a focus on their public policy proposals. This chapter will explore which policy domains are prioritized by the major political parties and any divergence in the prioritization of different policy domains across political parties. The chapter will also consider any change over time before considering if parties’ priorities match those of voters. These questions are addressed by drawing on the Manifesto Project and public opinion data.