Reflecting Parliamentary Public Opinion on General Election Results and Justice in Representation: 1982-2023

Elections and electoral processes in Turkey are closely followed and are associated with great hope. Consequently, voter turnout rates in Turkey are higher than those in countries classified as developed. This study aims to examine how voter preferences are reflected in the parliament through the results of parliamentary general elections held within the scope of the 1982 Constitution, including the year 2023. It investigates whether the current electoral system and constitution contribute to the reflection or non-reflection of election results in line with the concept of 'justice in representation'. Within this framework, the results of 12 parliamentary general elections held during the relevant period were evaluated not only based on party votes but also on voter turnout rates and the representation of votes within the voter turnout. Attempts were made to understand the reasons behind the reflection or non-reflection of votes in the parliament and representation, and solutions were proposed to eliminate these reasons. The results indicate that although there has been progress over time in terms of justice in representation, the system has not been fully renewed yet. Proposed solutions include updating the threshold system, expanding areas such as the composition of the parliament, increasing representation rates, and strengthening democratic participation.