The principle of Republicanism in Turkish Constitutional Law

The aim of this study is to examine the current meaning and significance of the concepts of republic and republicanism theoretically and practically within the framework of constitutional law. The concept of republicanism, which has little place in Turkish constitutional law, has been revived especially after the second half of the 20th century. Republicanism, which originated in ancient Greece and Rome, is an ideal that aims to achieve the common good on the basis of equality, secularism and citizenship. The ideals of the republics established by the revolutions have been shared by liberalism, democracy, and socialism. Our study follows a historical and comparative method. In the first part of the study, the concepts of republic and republicanism are discussed in their historical, philosophical, and political aspects. In the second part, the origin and elements of the concepts were studied and the theoretical structure was constructed. In the third and last chapter, the development of the concepts of republic and republicanism in Turkish history and the existence of these principles in the constitutions of the republican period have been examined. As a result, we see that Turkey has been a republic with a republican ideal since its foundation. The changes made in the constitutions of the republican period could not capture the republican spirit because they were the product of a military coup. Especially in the constitutional amendments of 2017, a serious deviation can be observed. Since republicanism is an ideal and a process, it has been concluded that there is a need to reinterpret republican principles within the framework of constitutional law.