The Constitution of 1961 (officially titled the Constitution of the Turkish Republic) was the fundamental law

Constitution

A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...

 of Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 from 1961 to 1982. It was introduced following the 1960 coup d'état, replacing the earlier Constitution of 1924

Turkish Constitution of 1924

The Constitution of 1924, formally titled the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey , was the fundamental law of Turkey from 1924 to 1961. It replaced the Constitution of 1921 and was ratified by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey following the proclamation of the republic on 29 October 1923....

. It was approved in a referendum held on 9 July 1961, with 61.7% of the nation voting in favor. It remained in force until the 1980 coup d'état, following which it was replaced by a new document, the Constitution of 1982

Constitution of Turkey

This article relates to a current event. See also the Turkish constitutional referendum, 2010The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey is Turkey's fundamental law. It establishes the organization of the government and sets out the principles and rules of the state's conduct along with its...

, which remains in force today.

II. Characteristics of the Republic

Article 2 - The Turkish Republic is a nationalistic, democratic, secular and social state, governed by the rule of law, based on human rights and fundamental tenets set forth in the preamble.

III. Indivisibility of the State, its official language and its seat of government

Article 3 - The Turkish State is an indivisible whole comprising its territory and people. Its official language is Turkish. Its capital is the city of Ankara.

IV. Sovereignty

Article 4 - Sovereignty is vested in the nation without reservation and condition. The nation shall exercise its sovereignty through the authorized agencies as prescribed by the principles laid forth in the Constitution. The right to exercise such sovereignty shall not be delegated to any one person, group or class. No person or agency shall exercise any state authority, which does not derive its origin from the Constitution.

V. Legislative Power

Article 5 - Legislative power is vested in the Grand National Assembly. This power shall not be delegated.

VI. Executive Function

Article 6 - The executive function shall be carried out by the President of the Republic and the Council of Ministers within the framework of law.

VII. Judicial Power

Article 7 - Judicial power shall be exercised by independent courts on behalf of the Turkish nation.

VIII. Supremacy and the binding force of the Constitution

Article 8 - Laws shall not be in conflict with the Constitution. The provisions of the Constitution shall be the fundamental legal principles binding the legislative, executive and judicial organs, administrative authorities and individuals.

IX. Irrevocability of the form of the State

Article 9 - The provision of the Constitution establishing the form of the state as a republic shall not be amended nor shall any motion therefore be made.

Difference between 1924 and 1961

Unlike the former constitution, constitution of 1961 is based on human rights; with Article 11, the individual's freedom are secured at all times. The phrase social state was included in this Constitution for the first time. The 1961 constitution also introduced a senate to form a bicameral system.

Government

Grand National Assembly was formed of the National Assembly and Senate of the Republic. National Assembly members and the majority of senators were elected by the nation, whereas 15 senators were chosen by the President. These fifteen senators had to be either former Presidents or members of the Committee of National Unity

Committee of National Unity

The Committee of National Unity was a right-wing self-styled "technocratic" organization of moderate conservative business and government leaders in Bolivia....

.
Though parliamentary democracy was the form of government, some members of the Senate were not elected and were given permanent seat. These included members of the Committee of National Unity, who organized the coup d'état.