Federasyonu

Federasyonu is the Turkish term for federation. It derives from Latin foederatio through French fédération and is used to denote a union of semi-autonomous entities under a central authority. In political science, a federation refers to a constitutional arrangement in which multiple states or regions share power with a central government while retaining certain powers at the subnational level.

A federation typically features a division of competences between the central or federal government and its constituent units, such as states or provinces. The central authority handles areas like defense, foreign policy, and monetary policy, while regional units administer policies in areas such as education, policing, and infrastructure, subject to the constitution. This structure aims to balance national unity with regional autonomy. Federations are commonly contrasted with unitary states, where central authority exercises broad control, and with confederations, where the central authority has weaker powers and relies on member units for enforcement.

In Turkish usage, Federasyonu is frequently part of the official names of organizations and bodies, especially sports, cultural, and professional associations, such as Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu (Turkish Football Federation). The term is also used more generally to discuss federal ideas in Turkish political discourse. While Turkey is a unitary state, discussions about decentralization or federal models surface in political debates and in the study of comparative federalism.

See also: Federation, Federalism, UnitariState.