Home > 1.2 Equal suffrage > TÜRKIYE - Joint Opinion on the Amendmets to the Electoral Legislation by Law No. 7393 of 31 March 2022
 
 
 
Download file    
 
 
Paragraph 37
 

The Venice Commission and ODIHR reiterate that a common standard for the application of a specific seat allocation method in electoral law does not exist. Therefore, States are free to determine the method by which the votes cast in the election are transformed into seats in Parliament. Nevertheless, they recall that the choice of the seat allocation method and the way in which such a method is applied are not neutral but have a direct bearing on the distribution of seats. This choice is not devoid of political impact. Against the background of the principle of equal opportunity, which is one of the fundamental principles of electoral law, the Venice Commission and ODIHR encourage the Turkish authorities to observe the effects of the application of the amended allocation method with a specific focus on smaller parties.