NGOs and Civil Society

This chapter looks at the development of civil society and NGOs in Turkey, with particular focus on factors such as Kemalism, nationalism, Europeanisation and the more recent sociopolitical influence of the AKP. By presenting two perspectives to the study of civil society - a ‘new-Tocquevillean’ and ‘Gramscian’ - the chapter paints a picture of a divided civil society. A key faultline in Turkish civil society today lies between the domain of secular, issue-based groups underpinned by a politically oriented organisational mission and faith-based groups with a strong focus on family, community and the delivery of welfare. The chapter argues that these divisions will continue to deepen, driven by neoliberal Islamic conservatism and populist authoritarianism.