ABSTRACT
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 socio-political 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 fault line 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.
