Civil Society Development Center has released a monitoring report that evaluates the state of civil society in Turkey in terms of freedom of organization and the right to participation.
The report titled “Civil Society Organizations in Turkey: Freedom of Organization and the Right to Participation” shows that legal regulations are limiting the scope of civil society’s activities, and the doors of the state remain largely closed to civil society.
Civil Society Development Center (STGM) has unveiled a monitoring report on the status of civil society in Turkey, focusing on the freedom of organization and the right to participate.
Based on a survey involving 1003 civil society organizations and in-depth interviews with 48 groups concentrating on rights-based work, the report also features two focus group discussions. Moreover, the report scrutinizes the relevant activities of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and 12 ministries.
Entitled “Civil Society Organizations in Turkey: Freedom of Organization and the Right to Participate,” the report reveals that legal frameworks have restricted the scope of civil society’s activities, and the state remains largely closed to engagement with such organizations. The document also exposes the varied threats faced by civil society groups, extending from verbal harassment to armed attacks, beyond just state pressure.
Civil society’s room for maneuver is narrowing
According to the report, civil society organizations (CSOs) in Turkey have been feeling their workspaces gradually shrink, especially over the last 20 years. With the increase in legal regulations and state pressure, the room for civil society movement is being restricted more and more. This situation reveals that although CSOs continue to resist for democracy, they are struggling to overcome many difficulties.
Another important point highlighted in the report is the significantly lower number of civil society organizations in Turkey compared to other European countries. While there are approximately 100,000 CSOs in Turkey, there are 620,000 in Germany and 1,500,000 in France.
Some of the key findings highlighted in the report include:
- One in every five civil society organizations is facing challenges due to legal regulations. While additional documents are required from NGOs, which are not stipulated by the law, during the establishment of associations, 21% of the NGOs participating in the study indicated that they faced political criteria during registration.
The mandatory notification of members has led to a significant decrease in membership.
- The research also showed that the negative effects of the amendment made to the Association Law in 2020 regarding the mandatory notification of members continue. 12% of the associations participating in the research reported experiencing issues due to the mandatory notification of members. Since the introduction of the mandatory notification of members, there has been a decrease of nearly 4 million in association memberships.
The number of CSOs in Turkey lags behind Europe
- According to the report, associations continue to be the most common civil society organization structure in Turkey.
According to the records of the Directorate General for Civil Society Relations of the Ministry of Interior, there are 101,806 associations operating in Turkey. While the number of CSOs in Germany was 620,000 in 2022, it reached 1.5 million in France. Among European countries, the Nordic countries are significantly ahead in terms of the presence of CSOs relative to their populations. According to the 2022 data, there are 100,000 associations in Denmark and 108,096 in Finland.
The highest number of associations per capita is in Ankara
- 34% of all associations operate in Istanbul and Ankara. The highest number of associations and foundations per capita is in Ankara. In Ankara, there is one association for every 542 people, while the provinces with the fewest associations per capita are Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Diyarbakır, and Van.
77% of CSOs do not have full-time staff
While only about 0.3% of total employment in Turkey is in civil society organizations, the field research conducted as part of the monitoring study stated that 77% of CSOs participating in the survey did not have full-time employees.
Half of the associations’ incomes are below 10 thousand TL
While the income of almost half of the organizations participating in the survey remains below 10 thousand TL, it is stated that the resource generation opportunities of CSOs in Turkey are very limited, and CSOs’ primary sources of income, such as membership fees and donations, are insufficient.
Distribution of public resources is not equitable
The report highlights that only a limited number of civil society organizations benefit from public funds, and there are few organizations that can access international funds. Moreover, those who do manage to access resources are often targeted. One in every four CSOs participating in the study expressed their dissatisfaction with the fairness of decisions made in the distribution of public resources.
The number of inspections targeting CSOs is on the rise
According to data from the Directorate General of Civil Society Relations, the Ministry of Interior conducted inspections on 29,987 associations in 2022. In more than 10% of these inspections, legal and administrative actions were taken. Additionally, the research indicates that being the subject of a media smear campaign or receiving support from targeted foundations could lead to an inspection.
Pressures on Rights-Based Organizations
- The research revealed that rights-based CSOs more frequently encounter situations such as threats or targeting by politicians and public officials. This group is also more often subjected to unannounced inspections by public institutions. Moreover, organizations with a strong rights-based approach encounter more pressure compared to other organizations due to their statements and work.
- Organizations participating in the research also mentioned practicing self-censorship in their work.
- The report documented examples of verbal and physical pressure against CSOs.
- It was highlighted that verbal and physical attacks against CSOs negatively impact even those organizations that haven’t experienced such attacks, making them feel pressured.