The importance of separation of powers in government was the theme of a meeting last week in Istanbul, Turkey, between Vice President Joe Biden and the Checks and Balances Network, a coalition working for greater democracy and pluralism.

“Our founders concluded that a concentration of powers was the most corrosive thing that can happen to any system,” Biden said of the U.S. system. “We still believe that.”

The Checks and Balances Network is a coalition of more than 204 civil society organizations. NDI provides technical and financial support to the coalition.  

During the hour-long meeting, the Vice President explained the U.S. separation of powers system, which gives the executive, legislative and judiciary branches equal status.  Attendees included U.S. Ambassador John Bass, Assistant Secretary of State for European and  Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland, and 10 representatives of organizations that make up the network.

During the session, Selda Tandoğan Demirel of the Women’s Entrepreneurs Council of the Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey said, “We formed the network with the belief that freedom, equality, stability, justice, welfare and peace can only be achieved and sustained if there is a strong system of checks and balances… As individual organizations, we may have different -- often opposing -- perspectives, backgrounds and life experiences, but as a network we are united.  We’re on the side of democracy.”  

At a press conference after the session, Fuat Keyman of the İstanbul Policy Center summed up the meeting. “What we communicated to the Vice President was reflected in his own remarks: a strong system of checks and balances, one that balances national and local needs, the interests of different political parties, one that strengthens the role of citizens is critical to the welfare and stability of Turkey and all countries in the region,” he said.  

“My take away from this meeting,” said Berrin Sönmez of the Capital City Women’s Platform, “is the idea the Vice President shared, that ‘checks and balances’ is not a system for export but rather a set of principles and mechanisms that each country in its own way can adopt to address its specific needs.”  

Formed in 2012 with assistance from NDI and Sabancı University’s Istanbul Policy Center, the Checks and Balances Network is today represented in all 81 of Turkey’s provinces.  The network’s campaigns and advocacy programs aim to bring about a new constitution, reform institutions including parliament, the judiciary and the media, and foster a new political culture based on participation, transparency and accountability.  

In addition to Demirel, Keyman and Sönmez, those attending the meeting were Süleyman Basa on the Internet Media and Information Technology Federation, Turan Hançerli of the Turkish Association for the Disabled, Mehmet Kaya of the Dicle Community Research Center,  Murat Köylü of Kaos LGBT, Hasan Seymen of  the Federation of Circassian Associations, Sevna Somuncuoğlu of the Turkish Women’s Union and Müjgan Suver of the Marmara Foundation.  

NDI has worked in Turkey since 1997 supporting civil society and increased citizen participation in the political process, with funding from the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.S. Department of State, and American Councils for International Education.

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Published November 25, 2014