The Turkish Republic has a secular, pluralist parliamentary system. Legislative power rests with the National Assembly or Meclis in Ankara, with 550 duputies elected every 5 years by a system of proportional representation. The nation is governed by a Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. The head of the state is president who is elected every 7 years by parliament and presides over the National Security Council. Recently, a series of difficult economic and social reforms aimed at stabilizing the economy and bringing the country into line to start EU accession negotiations have been pushed through the Parliament. Among these reforms was a liberalization of the laws governing foreign property buyers. The government has also won praise for its willingness to tackle sensitive issues, such as minority rights and the future of Cyprus. Formal negotiations with Turkey and EU started in October 2005. Experts acknowledge that Turkey will be the full member of EU within 10 years.