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The process to elect a new president of Turkey's Constitutional Court began today because the term of the court's president, Kadir Özkaya, is due to expire on 22 December.

Özkaya, whose term as a court member is capped at 12 years by regulation, cannot run in the vote but is entitled to cast a ballot. The other members of the high court are eligible to stand, and the election will be held by the General Assembly.

How the vote will work

Under the high court's internal rules, the election process starts two months before Özkaya's term ends. Özkaya will oversee the arrangements, and the venue, date and time of the vote will be notified in writing to the members of the Constitutional Court at least seven days in advance.

In the General Assembly vote, a candidate who secures an absolute majority of at least 8 of the 15 members will take on the presidency of the Constitutional Court for a term of four years. If no candidate wins the required majority, voting will continue.

Özkaya's career

Kadir Özkaya was born in Tarsus in 1963 and graduated from the Public Administration Department of Gazi University's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences in 1985. Özkaya worked as a civil servant at the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre and as a controller at the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives.

After completing a judgeship internship in the administrative judiciary that began in 1991, Özkaya was appointed as an examining judge at the Council of State in 1993. Özkaya was assigned to the Constitutional Court's rapporteurship on a temporary basis in November 2004 and was appointed to that post in 2005, then became a member of the Council of State in 2011.

Path to the presidency

Özkaya was elected to membership of the Constitutional Court by the President on 18 December 2014 and began that role on 22 December 2014. The General Assembly of the Constitutional Court elected Özkaya as vice president of the high court twice, at meetings on 12 March 2020 and 5 March 2024.

Following the expiry of Zühtü Arslan's term, the General Assembly elected Özkaya as president of the high court on 21 March 2024. Özkaya took up the post on 20 April 2024.

Key takeaways

• The election process for the presidency of Turkey's Constitutional Court began today, two months before Kadir Özkaya's term ends on 22 December.
• Özkaya cannot stand as a candidate but can vote; the other members of the high court may run.
• The winning candidate needs at least 8 of the 15 General Assembly votes and will serve a four-year term.
• Özkaya was elected to the court in 2014 and became its president in 2024 after Zühtü Arslan's term expired.