ABSTRACT
Chapter 5 examines how the domestic developments in Turkey and the changing course of EU–Turkey relations reflect on Turkey’s civic space. This chapter analyzes how the legal framework on freedom of association and its implementation evolved from the early 2000s until today. For this, it first briefly overviews the improving framework between 2001 and 2006 and discusses the half-finished reform process. This chapter then examines the closing civic space and, particularly after 2013, increasing repression against civic actors. It discusses how the European Union’s diminishing leverage over Turkey, and Turkey’s political and social polarization impact on the closing civic space. Finally, this chapter discusses the broader contextual challenges influencing Turkish civil society since the failed coup attempt in July 2016.
