Of Turkish and French presidents

Turkey had its legislative elections on June 7. The result was simple: Four parties made it into parliament and not a single one had enough seats to form a government by itself. As prime minister designate, Ahmet Davuto?lu failed to form a coalition government. In line with his constitutional powers, President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an dissolved parliament and declared that snap elections would be held on Nov. 1. 

None of that would be unusual, if not for President Erdo?an?s role throughout the whole thing. He is the first president in the history of the republic to be elected by popular vote and the first to campaign for a party in parliamentary elections. On top of that, he now also dissolved parliament. So does that mean, some ask, that Turkey?s political system is like that of France? The French semi-presidential system, after all, elects its presidents by popular ballot and gives them the power to dissolve parliament. It sounds like Mr. Erdo?an?s job, but there is a crucial difference between the two: The French president can dissolve parliament unilaterally, while the Turkish president?s power to do so is only circumstantial. Let me explain.

Remember how Francois Mitterrand dissolved the French parliament in 1988? He did not have to consult anyone. One stroke of the pen at the time of his choosing was enough. That?s what unilateral means. France has a semi-presidential system where the popularly elected president is meant to be strong. Turkey has a parliamentary system where the popularly elected president is meant to be weak. 

The Turkish president?s authority to dissolve parliament can only be used if, and only if, a newly elected parliament fails to form a majority government within 45 days after the president elects the leader of the...