Type of Government: Constitutional monarchy

Head of State        : King Mohammed VI

Morocco was under French and Spanish rule from 1912 until gaining her independence in 1956. Morocco is divided into 16 administrative regions that are administered by governors appointed by the King. The Moroccan Parliament consists of a lower chamber called the Chamber of Representatives, which is directly elected, and an upper chamber, the Chamber of Counsellors, whose members are indirectly elected through various regional, local, and professional councils. The King appoints the prime minister following legislative elections; appoints all members of the government taking into account the prime minister's recommendations; and may, at his discretion, terminate the tenure of any minister, dissolve the Parliament, call for new elections, or rule by decree.

The last  Parliamentary elections were held in September 2007 and the next one is scheduled for 2012.

b) Bilateral Political Relations

Turkey and Morocco are two brotherly countries enjoying good relations stemming from shared history in the Mediterranean.

Given the fact that the Middle Eastern region is passing through a highly critical period full of uncertainties, both countries are aware of the necessity of keeping close cooperation. To this end and collaboration, political will exists on both sides to continue the high level bilateral visits.

The visit of Prime Minister Driss Jettou to Turkey in April 2004 was marked by the signing of the Free Trade Agreement, and came into force as of 1 October 2006, has been very fruitful. Also, the visit of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in March 2005 added new momentum to bilateral relations.

Especially in economic and commercial fields, the rising share of Turkish companies in Morocco, particularly in infrastructure projects are promising for Turkey. The Free Trade Agreement, coupled with the Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation, provide broader opportunities for both countries’ businessmen. Roughly three-fold increase in trade volume in last 3 years, which is more than 700 million dollars as of 2006, illustrates the developing economic and commercial relations thanks to political will on both sides.

With regard to the Western Sahara issue, Turkey is aware of the serious difficulties on the way to a solution that would satisfy all the parties and hopes that a solution acceptable to all parties can be found within the framework of the UN.  

c) Official Visits

The official visits at the level of head of states and governments since 1984 are as follows:

From Turkey to Morocco:

President H.E. Kenan Evren - January 16-18, 1984 (4th. Islamic Conference Organization Summit)

President H.E. Kenan Evren                 - March 30-April 2 1987

President H.E. Süleyman Demirel -December 12-14 1994  (7th. Islamic Conference Organization Summit)

President H.E. Süleyman Demirel - July 25, 1999 

Prime Minister H.E. Tansu Çiller - October 30, 1994 (Middle East-North Africa Economic Summit Meeting)

Prime Minister H.E. Recep Tayip Erdoğan - March 30-31, 2005

From Morocco to Turkey

Prime Minister H.E. Driss Jettou - April 6-7, 2004